It has been a tradition of my moms family to have a reunion every year either before or after Christmas. I have very good memories of these reunions when I was young. Me and my cousins always look forward to December as it is a time for gift giving, bountiful food and games.
My moms family has always been intimately close. Most of the 11 siblings live in the same Municipality. So it goes that we always see each other. But reunions are different. It's our time to celebrate the good things in life. Then one year, it suddenly stopped for reasons we don't know. It saddened me. Maybe because financial reasons took its toll on the event. Now that me and my cousins have grown up and a new generation of young kids, nephews and nieces has surfaced, we thought of bringing it back. 2010 is the 4th family reunion that we had since then, and the experience year after year after year has always been pleasant.
So aside from the noche buena which individual families share, we all loook forward to our reunion. The 25th of December was this years date. Its so nice seeing my relatives gather and celebrate the season of giving and parties. The kids in particular were full of energy. I see this as a vital event in any Filipino family as love sometimes need reassurance and constant sharing. Its a time for old bonds to be reunited and new friendships to be created. Yes, even among cousins, and siblings, it has to be renewed and communicated.
Reunions make me realized how times have remained the same and at the same time has changed most of us. My cousins are mostly married now, they have their own families and kids but I am happy to see the commitment. Its normal to have differences within the family but I am glad that these personal gaps are put aside year after year just to show love and solidarity.
The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck
As I said, I believe in family and reunions make families stronger. I come from a simple and not so influential family but I like it that way. Nothing fancy, no big egos or unnecessary competition. This simplicity make people appreciative of each other. Simple tokens or gives are enough to make people smile And in cases where somebody cant share anything material in nature, simple presence and acts of kindness are enough to put a grin in someone else's face.......
My moms family has always been intimately close. Most of the 11 siblings live in the same Municipality. So it goes that we always see each other. But reunions are different. It's our time to celebrate the good things in life. Then one year, it suddenly stopped for reasons we don't know. It saddened me. Maybe because financial reasons took its toll on the event. Now that me and my cousins have grown up and a new generation of young kids, nephews and nieces has surfaced, we thought of bringing it back. 2010 is the 4th family reunion that we had since then, and the experience year after year after year has always been pleasant.
So aside from the noche buena which individual families share, we all loook forward to our reunion. The 25th of December was this years date. Its so nice seeing my relatives gather and celebrate the season of giving and parties. The kids in particular were full of energy. I see this as a vital event in any Filipino family as love sometimes need reassurance and constant sharing. Its a time for old bonds to be reunited and new friendships to be created. Yes, even among cousins, and siblings, it has to be renewed and communicated.
my wife Teresa with my cousin Sam who came all the way from Dubai.
Reunions make me realized how times have remained the same and at the same time has changed most of us. My cousins are mostly married now, they have their own families and kids but I am happy to see the commitment. Its normal to have differences within the family but I am glad that these personal gaps are put aside year after year just to show love and solidarity.
my cousins Lizel and Margie who I literally grew up with, they were my friends and playmates when we were young.
my nephews Rowne and Rownyl
Our nephews and nices have also grown fast. Makes me think that I am about to turn 30 and I still dont have kids to call my own. Soon I will be bringing one and soon he or she will also be running around and joyously play with her relatives.
Speaking of games, I always make it a point that I bring candies home. These serve as prices for the games that we make the kids play. The interesting part is that even adults, our aunts and uncles actively participate in those games. However little I have, I make it a point to give prices. It's my way sharing my blessings to them.
kids strip during the longest line contest
my nieces and nephews during the games....
everybody's participative
The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck
As I said, I believe in family and reunions make families stronger. I come from a simple and not so influential family but I like it that way. Nothing fancy, no big egos or unnecessary competition. This simplicity make people appreciative of each other. Simple tokens or gives are enough to make people smile And in cases where somebody cant share anything material in nature, simple presence and acts of kindness are enough to put a grin in someone else's face.......
Saya talaga pag may reunion! It's great spending time with family... it promotes close family ties! hehehehehe
ReplyDeleteYung pamilya namin eh walang reunion kaya matutuwa na ako kapag nagkasasama ng simpleng get together kaming lahat. Sa ngayon, di pa nangyari na nakumpleto ang buong angkan namin. Magkakalayo na kasi eh. Tsk.
ReplyDeletenever pa akong nakaattend ng family reunion kasi sa father side nasa isang compound lang kami sa mother side naman medyo magkakalayo talaga..pero mukang masaya talaga yung ganyan nakakamiss tuloy yung mga kamag-anak kong nasa abroad na ngayon..
ReplyDeleteSir, andito kasi ako ngayon sa Parañaque for Christmas vacation. Haha. Matagal na ako nandito kaya di naman ako dumayo ng Greenhills talaga. :)
ReplyDeleteat masarap sa isang family reunion kung may ganito kagilas na photographer! swerte lang sila!!
ReplyDeleteang saya naman!
ReplyDeletenakita ko ang pics ng mga relatives mo at ang masasabi ko lang - malakas talaga ang genes niyo kasi magkakamukha kayo :)
ReplyDeleteCherish yung closeness ng clan niyo. Rare yon. Keep it alive.
tama nga! ang genes kitang kita o. hehehehe. masaya pag malaki ang clan nyo kasi talagang kagulo pag reunion. saya kaya nun! :D
ReplyDeletekakatuwa naman to. saya makita ang mga pinsan at pamangkin na matagal mo di nakita.
ReplyDeletenaalala ko rin sa amin kasi pupunta pa kami lahat ng iloilo para sa reunion. last year ginawa ulit at malalaki na lahat... absent naman ako.
We are also having such reunions annually. Nakaugalian na ng pamilya. Doon mo talaga makikita ang paglaki ng bawat isa eh. nakakatuwa yung mga ganitong events.
ReplyDeletewhahaha ang saya naman grabe ingit ako.. heheheh gusto ko rin mag organize ng reunion sa family kaso malabo hehehe :D
ReplyDeletebtw ang ganda ng mga shoot ha hehehe :D
bespren! happy holidays! :) natuwa naman ako sa post naito, na-miss ko tuloy ang Pasko sa probinsya.
ReplyDeletei like the spin the bottle game such a happy children's! NICE!
ReplyDeletei only attended once in our family reunion, im not sure kung nagkakaroon nga ba ulit year by year.... the last time i remember is nasa sunken garden kame (UP Diliman vicinity) tas the most memorable thing i remember is ayaw akong bigyan ng ice cream dahel bata pa raw ako, and one of my cousins threw up, hehehe
ReplyDeletebute pa mga kids dyan, nakakaen gn ice cream :)