Have a wonderful Christmas! http://www.flickr.com/photos/99472898@N00/5278223836

It’s 11 days before Christmas as I wrote this piece. It was also the only time my mother finished setting up the Christmas decorations in the house. She started last Monday.

The past few years, she has prepped up for Christmas a week before the nine dawn Masses. She said she doesn’t want to decorate early, as the trimmings and garlands will also start gathering dust early. Moreover, my mom has stopped putting up the Christmas tree. She told us that a Christmas tree is not THE symbol of Christmas anyway. Besides, she finds it tedious to set up.

Honestly, I just agreed with that idea for the past few years. She was the one who has put them up, taking them down, cleaning them, and then storing them, so she has a point about the dust and the time it takes to put the house in the holiday’s mood.

I just realized: since I started working, I never got to help decorating the house for Christmas. Less pair of hands meant more time for my mom to spend all by herself for the Christmas decorations.

I felt bad about it.

I felt bad not only because I am not able to help my mother, but because I don’t get to do the decor because I have no time.

So in the past few years – no, decade – , every time I come home from work, all I do is say, “Wow! It’s nice!”

Because every time I arrived from work every December, it’s all been set up.

As I gazed on the Christmas lights and lantern that she patiently set up outside the house tonight, I told myself that this December was not the same as last year’s. I got a part-time job as Virtual Assistant now, a goal that was just that – a goal – last year. My earnings somehow helped augment my income every month. Also, I get to do what I love to do. I have to say that there is much development on that.

But as what others say, one can never be satisfied. I just don’t want my part-time virtual assistant job to be just that – a part-time job. So my next goal is to work full-time as a virtual assistant, and be happier every day. Then become a full-time online marketer.

Who knows? Maybe next year, my mom and I can put up the Christmas tree when September comes.

And I would never mind setting them up, taking them down, cleaning them, and then storing them ‘til the next year.

I am sure that my mom will be happier with another pair of hands.

And a lot of time.