Gifts

Dad caught the cold virus early evening of the 24^th so we’re not able to go to our grandma’s place this year. My sister and a cousin invited me instead to go strolling around the Christmas Bazaar and after which, I treated them to McDonald’s despite the crowd of at least 8 people lined in each lane and despite that they announced running out of spaghetti noodles and chicken 15 minutes apart.

On our jeepney ride bound home few minutes before 11:00, I saw this sight which made my heart glad and reminded me the joy of the season. Sitting beside my sister on the opposite side of the jeep was a lady who looks to be in her late 20’s. She’s wearing a pale orange blouse and skirt of similar shade which I recognized to be a uniform of servers in a local food store. Since the jeep was packed, she’s only partly seated. With one hand, she’s clutching a plastic bag with four gifts the size of pouch bags and while the jeep weaved through the traffic, she tried her best to hold a gift steady while she wrote on its tag. Once done, she’d quickly return the package in the bag and bring out another and do the same until all were done. I smiled discreetly.

Yes, it was not as moving as those stories of charity to the poor and seriously ill people but for me, it’s the most apparent picture of thoughtfulness and giving I saw this holiday. I cannot tell if the woman is a mother (she doesn’t look like one) or for whom were her presents but that doesn’t matter. The presents were wrapped in cheap paper without glossy bows and the contents may not be expensive as well. Yet, in my mind, I admire this woman’s effort to grab these things for her loved ones despite being exhausted from a day’s work. I’m thinking how she might have felt when for hours at work, she’s served food to unknown customers while desiring to be home and prepare Christmas dinner for her own family. In this holiday when people doing office jobs are on vacation or at least had the privilege to go on leave with pay, there she was taking orders and setting tables. Maybe during the short times when she’s not handing out the menu and waiting for orders, she’s thinking what gift would her loved ones like. I can imagine how eager she was to punch her card out and rush before the stores where she got the gifts from close and have them wrapped. And in the packed and dimly-lighted jeep, she lovingly wrote the names of its recipients.

I just wish for this woman that in her whole day at work someone left a generous tip or at least none was rude to her. I wish that whoever received those gifts had liked it much and would take good care of those. And lastly, may this woman be blessed more than what she gives to other people.

Unknown to her, she’s also given me a gift and that is by inspiring me that there’s always joy in sharing what you have and more importantly sharing yourself to others.

“Christmas is a special time to give special people your gift. Whether it’s the gift wrapped in colorful paper, a message or a hug, Christmas allows us to reach them and let them know we care.” Anonymous