And just like that 11 months of the year have passed. December has come without meaning to stay long. This month means differently to each one of us. Academically, it is the 12th month of the Gregorian calendar. It is the 10th month of the Roman year, which starts in March. It is the start of the coldest months in some parts of the world that experience heavy snowfall, dark winters, and bitter cold mornings. Thus, for some people December can bring sadness and gloom with the sun shining faintly and the nights chilly.
December has a different tone to us depending on which part of the world you are and what region you come from. For some of us, especially in our country like the Philippines, the month comes with beautiful fairy lights that fill the streets, establishments, and homes.
Festive spirits and decorations dressing up buildings to look even more lively. The perks of 13th month pays and the season for generosity. The time of the year when we want to send gratitude and appreciation to people who have supported and made the entire year special. Family gatherings and much awaited break from a year of work.
December has embraced me in unique ways. I remember the first December I had to go through after losing someone I love. The thought of having to celebrate the season without the person was heart wrenching. The vision of having to undo family and personal traditions because of the loss is unimaginable. Yes, we grieve when we lose a loved one, but December has a different way of rubbing the pain in. I remember choosing not to move at all and act like it wasn’t a special month. The next December, I opted to act tough-busy and full of high wired activities that took my focus out of the longing to have one more December together again. Words are not enough to express the level of emotions that envelope a person when the reality of having to spend this festive month in an unusual way sinks in. But life goes on and even each December is a different one.
With a recovered heart I have started celebrating the season again. Now I see the lights that spell the intent to be merry. The decors that remind people of the amazing colors of life. Sometimes bright and sometimes dark. Yet despite life’s changing colors, it remains to be worth living. It remains to be worth sharing.
The same way at some point the thought of December for people in Cebu, was a typhoon Odette devastation. One that happened after two grueling pandemic years. This felt like an exclamation point to an already screaming downhill of an impact of Covid on this side of the country. But no matter how painful the memory of the devastation was, Cebuanos moved on. Resilient as ever and equipped with faith that someone higher will continue to protect us and help us bring back our businesses on its feet again.
How each one’s stories can fill our book of life with countless learnings and fill our imaginations with the wealth of morals to keep. All telling us that our Decembers do not remain the same. Time gives us a different lens of how we look at our December. My December now is full of gratitude and at the same time full of faith. It is not devoid of pain but the pain has lessons and appreciation to God for making me a better person. For helping me go through the year and for making me await every December.
