By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
Praying for a good year
I want to leave 2025 behind. Not with a screeching sound of motorcycles, firecrackers all over the place hours before and after the strike of 12 midnight, and all kinds of sounds, noise to ward off the bad influence of the old year with all its flaws. And supposedly to give a hearty welcome to 2026.
In all of my 79 years, this is the worst celebration ever. It seemed like our surroundings became a war zone. And it was an ordeal for me with my asthma, my brother with his emphysema and the 6 dogs we have. I’m forever grateful to my ever loyal Dessa to be staying with us every new year. I’m saying “us” especially when my husband was still alive. He passed on before Christmas of 2021. Since 2021, Dessa has always been with me a day before and after the new year.
When my husband was still alive, he, our children, their families, and I always stayed together. As the New Year comes, our children would go back to their respective homes. Yes, my children are always home in Baclayon for Christmas. But my grandchildren have grown up and have interests of their own. So, I have to condition myself to spend the holidays alone, but never lonely. I just cannot leave my own home since my ailing younger siblings are with me. The rooms reserved for my siblings have become like a hospice for them. Can I just leave them????
As I have said, I’m feeling alone, but not lonely. I have time to have an inventory of my Chinaware cabinets. I’m transported back to my youth when days before New Year would come. These are the days for cleaning up the cabinets and aparadors and declogging all.
I have 3 sparadors for my pieces of Chinaware. One aparador is for my antique collection. Some items are still part of my wedding gifts. Another aparador is for my sikwatihan where you have my teacups and demitasse set. They are used for the sikwate of old. In local parlance, sikwate sa pari. Some teacups are antique but most of them are new. I’m dreaming that someday, we can reorganize our heritage walk with the younger generation of the family conceptualizing it. And perhaps there’s still me lecturing on the story of my 3 aparadors and stories of the families of old Baclayon in their old leisurely way.
The wonder of new technology! While I was here in my own room having a late breakfast on New Year’s day, my friend called me up with a long conversation of the beautiful experience she had last night welcoming the New Year. She said that her family members (including her, of course) were there in their balcony viewing the fireworks display while the younger ones were on the street amidst the lights display and the glaring moon with all its grandeur. Everything was simply defined by the beauty of the sky.
Though New Year’s eve was an ordeal for Dessa and me and our dogs, we were able to catch up with the New Year’s healing mass at the Kapamilya Network with father Glenn Gomez.
Welcome, 2026!
