Growing up, I am used to spending Christmas in a simple way. My father is a seafarer and most of the time, we were spending Christmas without him. Most of my family’s relatives are in Aklan and since we are just a small family, our Christmas is just a simple celebration. My mother, brother, and I will usually hear Mass in the morning and then eat in a restaurant. When we go home, we will wait for visitors or relatives to drop by. Nanay will just cook a simple meal so that visitors will have something to eat like spaghetti, ham sandwich, and macaroni salad.
When Jeff and I got married, I got to spend Christmas at my in-laws. They have a big family and there are kids everywhere. It’s a big contrast to what I was accustomed to but I was happy nonetheless. This photo was taken last year and they’re not even complete.