By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
This holiday season, I have made it into somewhat of a tradition to rewatch some of the Christmas movies our family watched way back then. These family movies, though I already know their endings, is a time machine that always helped me go back to some of my childhood memories, when none of these college nonsense bothered us. Watching these films after coming off weeks filled with nothing but troubles and unsavory things, is truly getting into the holiday season and leaving all the negative baggage behind.
Christmas traditions, is surely different for all people. While some would definitely make the annual trip to Baguio City as one of their traditions, some make do with cheap wine. I try rewatching these Christmas family movies because it brings back memories such as the potluck in that elementary classroom, the exchanging of gift, the watching of fireworks late in the night despite our eyelids already closing. These memories are needed since the rest of the year has been dominated by all things related to our thesis, which at the first few weeks seemed exciting, but you just need a break from academe altogether.
Life should have its diversity after all. You should work hard, but there must also be fun times. Just as you work hard, play hard too.
These fun movies, also remind me of basic values. While some would undermine children’s movies, sometimes it may be the adults who need to rewatch them, since in the midst of the year they tend to forget basic decency and let the stress get to them.
At this point of the year, I can’t say I have arrived here without doing some wrongful actions. Hence the need for me to go back to my own traditions. My own personal routines that remind me of the person I used to be and the man I aim to be.
It’s nice to have things to go back to when things get rough. I find that if I immerse myself too much in one place, like a classroom for most of the year, I tend to self-destruct. End up going crazy, and start to throw away all the values I try to adhere to.
After all our accomplishments this year and all the troubles we had gone through, let’s sneak in there some time for us to create or find a place we can always go back to when life gets too much. A tradition that keeps us grounded but mostly, to keep us sane.**
