Christmas Is A Time To Linger: Finding your true self as you make sense of the world.

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME TO LINGER

By Roman Guevara

Christmas is a time for parties.

Yes. It’s that season of the year that you will hear of parties being organized left and right. Everyone just got to have one. There is the company Christmas party. There is the school Christmas party. There is the church Christmas party. There is the Filipino Organization Christmas party. There is even the “accommodation” Christmas party. The “flat” Christmas party. The “villa” Christmas party. And who knows, there may even be a “partition” Christmas party. It’s the UAE; it’s the Middle East, so who knows, right?

And you should go to all of them if you can. It’s the next best thing to going home in the Philippines – which, obviously, some of us can’t do right now. However, some people have developed the habit of just staying at home during Christmas eve, or Christmas day itself, especially, if in the UAE, or in other parts of the Middle East.

That could be very lonely. So don’t be a killjoy. Don’t make your life even more miserable. Join these parties. Or better yet, host one yourself. It doesn’t have to cost much. Contact close friends and family to join you, and you can have a potluck. However, just in case you can’t host one, still, go to these parties, specially the ones where your closest friends are.

And, since you are already there, linger. Yes. Linger.

Stay as long as you can.

Christmas Is A Time To Linger: Finding your true self as you make sense of the world. 

Genuinely and sincerely talk to as many people as you can. Enjoy the company of people. Talk. Listen. Hug. Cry. Laugh. Enjoy the people who matter most in your life. Even those who are with you abroad. Because, this is the truth, we cannot live our lives abroad alone. We need each other. And the Christmas season just totally emphasises this to perfection.

The people in our lives abroad can be an interesting mix of old and new friends. Meeting old friends since our time in the Philippines during Christmas parties can be a great time to reconnect, reminisce, and be totally nostalgic. And let me just remind you of this. That no matter what your past was, there will always be parts of it worth remembering. And old friends, there the ones we need to talk to about them.

So linger. Stay longer. Don’t rush to go home. Yes, there is work the next day. But it will still be there. Work will still be boring, stressful, ungrateful, frustrating, and all of that and more. But old friends in the party, that may be the only time you are going to see each other again in a long time.

And how about making new friends?

Staying longer during Christmas parties can be a great opportunity to meet someone new. Adding new people in our lives can be a great experience. It can even be therapeutic to some. Yes, it can be a little awkward at first, but once you’ve overcome the initial shyness, the rest can be an eye-opening experience.

The universe, naturally, has a way of bringing people together. Be authentic. Be yourself. You have to cooperate with forces of the galaxy. Don’t judge people all too quickly. One’s first impression may not necessarily be his best impression, so don’t be so guarded.

Just give it time.

Be nice.

Be kind.

Be your best.

Be loving.

The world needs more of that.

And it’s Christmas. That’s what we do. That’s who we are as a people. We are loving. So I say again. Linger. Stay longer.

Believe me, you won’t regret it that you did.

ROMAN GUEVARA

Spiritual advisor. Life Coach. Rockstar. Roman Guevara, better known as “Kuya Roman,” has made an indelible mark in the Filipino community in the GCC with his unique brand of empowerment. In this issue, he talks about how what people should do when they feel empty. Get in touch with him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/romanguevaraRU

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