‘All I want for Christmas is…’: Rounding up our readers’ Christmas 2019 wishes

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We asked, you answered – what’s the first thing on your Christmas wish list?

Nobody can have everything, but wishing for a thing or two every once in a while perhaps would not hurt, especially during the season of giving.

As we count down the last few hours and minutes before Christmas, we asked netizens about what it is they really want. Their answers showed that it is not always the material or monetary things that count — although no one would complain either over the occasional little red envelope from ninong and ninang.

The answers we received are varied, ranging from the political (ex. International Criminal Court convictions concerning alleged human rights abuses in the country, and for Congress to have a new leadership) to the personal (14th month pay, a sugar daddy, and, well, an order of Mang Inasal’s pecho with rice, among others). But amidst the answers being both wild and zany, the wishes that resonated the most also happen to be the ones that are intangibly timeless: good health, peace of mind, and moments with family.

“I wish everyone I love will have peace in their hearts and minds,” said a certain Trish (@trishtesse) via Instagram, while one Annie (@annie113015) wished for “Good health and peace of mind.”

The saying health is wealth may be far overused, but it is one that sticks and stays for the truth in its message: your health matters, and a clean bill of health and a peaceful life, often-overlooked joys, are things money could never buy nor make certain.

Nineteen-year-old Mickaellah Lanto from Lipa City, has material things in mind too for Christmas, but she also knows that it is not really fulfilling when she is the only one deriving happiness from the gifts she would receive. This time, she wishes for people to consider the real reason behind Christmas, beyond the gifts.

“More than that, I decided to wish not just for myself but also for my family and friends. Knowing that this year has been very tough, I wish that this Christmas season, may they feel that God never left them behind,” she said. “I want them to realize that yesterday, today, and tomorrow, God will always continue to extend His unending love and guidance to each and every one of us. May we all feel that Christmas is not centered to all the presents we are all wishing for, but more so, to the ONE who truly is the reason for the season.”

This Christmas, Mickaellah plans to have a modest celebration with her loved ones. This would be her family’s first time celebrating the holidays without their grandmother after she passed away last August, so they decided to celebrate Christmas at the cemetery with their relatives.

“My aunties and uncles came up [with] an idea of doing a simple family day at the cemetery for us to be able to still celebrate this special occasion with my Lola,” she told INQUIRER.net. “It may sound weird to celebrate Christmas at the cemetery but may this also be a season to remember that our loved ones are family too, and they are forever celebrating life with us.”

A simple meal is also going to be prepared by Mickaellah’s parents as they anticipate unexpected visitors for the holidays.

“I am looking forward to a more memorable Christmas 2019 since it will be our first time not celebrating it at home. I am hoping that we will enjoy the moment we are with our family even though we are not complete this time,” she added.

As for Lucena Gervasio, a retired schoolteacher from Cebu City, she wished that someone would buy her house so she can travel. Lucena is already 72 years old and while her career of being a teacher allowed her to build two houses for her family, she said that retiring from her service has diminished her earning capacity.

Seeing the world with her youngest grandchild Isaiah, who turned 4 years old just last Dec. 6, is now Lucena’s dream.

“I had always been self-reliant before and after my husband died,” she told INQUIRER.net. “I now realize that time is my enemy so I am willing to sacrifice a dream to pursue another dream. That dream includes bringing my youngest grandchild to any Disneyland. He is a miracle. He was dead at birth but was resuscitated by God’s hands.”

There are simple joys too, such as caring for plants, in looking after something and seeing it thrive from one’s own tenderness and mercy.

It would not be hard to deduce that Pat, a 21-year-old from Quezon City, loves plants just by scrolling through the Instagram feed @patmrcl, which is all plants and hardly of the owner’s face. Pat’s wish this Christmas? “Lots of plants.”

“I started taking care of plants last June, after seeing some Instagram accounts, and have been obsessing over it ever since,” Pat told INQUIRER.net “I’m planning to buy a plant rack which is why I want more plants. My goal for 2020 is to fill my plant rack with new babies.”

Our wishes are endless and they are all too human just the same. But whatever these wishes are, big or small, and whether or not these are the product of mere wishful thinking or actual goals one hopes to achieve, Christmas seems a fitting time of the year to reflect, give back and celebrate the joy in life’s little things.

What do you want for Christmas? JB

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