Navidad atípica [Iniciativa de Hive Argenetina] ESP/ENG

De verdad que desde que leí sobre esta iniciativa no pude evitar pensar en lo atípicas que se han vuelto estas fechas para muchos, en especial a causa de las ausencias, algunos miembros de mi familia, al igual que en el de muchas familias en mi país, Venezuela, han emigrado hacia otros horizontes, como muchos lo hicieron una vez al contrario, llegando a nuestro país, huyendo de la guerra y otras cosas peores, pero aunque esto pueda sonar doloroso y de hecho lo es, al menos nos queda el consuelo de que de vez en cuando regresan a casa y volvemos a vivir esas tradiciones que por años nos mantuvieron felices, sin embargo la ausencia que más duele y pesa es la definitiva, la de esos familiares que fallecieron y que ya no están ni estarán más en las fotos familiares.

Honestly, ever since I read about this initiative, I couldn't help but think about how unusual this time of year has become for many, especially because of the absences. Some members of my family, like many families in my country, Venezuela, have emigrated to other horizons, just as many once did the opposite, arriving in our country, fleeing war and other worse things. But although this may sound painful, and indeed it is, at least we have the consolation that from time to time they return home and we can relive those traditions that kept us happy for years. However, the absence that hurts and weighs most heavily is the permanent one, that of those relatives who have passed away and are no longer in the family photos, nor will they ever be again.

Despite everything, human beings have an amazing capacity for resilience, so as the years go by, even though the pain is still there, we can pick ourselves up and carry on with traditions, especially for the sake of the younger generations. But I remember some unusual Christmases and New Years at home, for example when my mother died. We used to celebrate both dates (December 24 and 31) at my parents' house, where the whole extended family would gather, always sharing dinner, taking family photos, listening to music, dancing, welcoming friends, etc. But in 1996, my mother was seriously ill, suffering from stomach cancer. In fact, she died on January 4, 1997 (on one of my sisters' birthdays, to make matters worse), and I especially remember that we didn't have any gatherings on either date. I even remember that on December 31, when we were watching the celebration on television and they announced midnight, I said to my eldest daughter in a sad voice, “Happy New Year, daughter!”

And the other sad memory of an atypical Christmas and New Year's Eve is much more recent, from 2015, when one of my sisters was suffering from the final stages of her illness and my dad was also very weak, both from age and his many ailments. Even though the family had gathered to welcome in the new year, I couldn't help but look sadly at those elements that were not part of the decorations but reinforced the feeling of helplessness, things like a hospital bed and a wheelchair.

But these were atypical moments because they are not normal or something that happens all the time. In other words, even though these absences are there and still weigh heavily and hurt, the normal thing is for the family to come together and remain united, to give each other that wonderful hug, full of blessings for the coming year, for that “Merry Christmas!” or “Happy New Year!” spring from the soul with enthusiasm and joy, that hearts are filled with good expectations. And in all this, I am also grateful for the opportunity because I just remembered an unusual Christmas, but in a positive way 😃, since until then we only danced, had dinner, talked, and took pictures, but on that occasion I just remembered, one of my sisters suggested that instead of gathering at our parents' house, we gather at her house and do something for the first time that from that moment on became an unmissable tradition of our celebration: the exchange of gifts. Of course, in the following years we did it at our parents' house or at my older sister's house (which is very close to our parents' house) 🤗.

I also remember that last year I had an unusual Christmas because normally, after dinner and the celebration, my daughters, my husband, and I go home to rest, but on this occasion we wanted to go see the Christmas lights decorating the city. There was music, people skating and celebrating, so in a way we extended the celebration and enjoyed it very much.

I think that if we were to have a different kind of Christmas at home this year or in the years to come, I would incorporate some Christmas games and activities to add even more flavor to the celebration. There are many options on the internet, and any of them could work. In fact, I'm thinking of doing something we did a long time ago, but at other celebrations such as birthdays. It's a game where you put together a package with treats and forfeits. It's passed from hand to hand while music is playing, and when the music stops, the person who has the package must open it and do the forfeit they got, or simply take the prize. It's really fun, honestly.

Fuente

Well, thank you very much for the opportunity to express my feelings and ideas through this initiative. I would like more people to join, so I invite my daughters @mairene1 and @bethyjade to participate. I send you virtual hugs and kisses filled with blessings.

Made with Canva Editor

Imagen editada en Canva

The pics on this post are by my own

Las fotografías de este post son de mi propiedad.