by Myka Isabel D. Basco
Home is where our heart will always be. The longing of being home becomes stronger especially for those who are working abroad, far away from loved ones. Somehow, the only thing that makes them stronger is the hope that one’s life and the lives of those they love will be better.
But as we live in the digital age, communication becomes better. With communication tools like Skype, WeChat, Viber, KakaoTalk, Facebook and others, solitary moments will no longer be an issue. Although physically, loved ones won’t really be there; but at least they get to see and check on them as much as they want.
One’s presence especially when celebrating important occasions, like Christmas can be difficult when you are not with family. Christmas is first and foremost for the family; but nowadays, with the growing rate of children living with their relatives, living alone, or single-parent households as a result of one or both parents working abroad, it is tough for a lot of those to spend the holidays together as a complete family.
One of them is Reena Deogracias, a fresh graduate from Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Her mom is currently working as Production Staff quality control at Yonekyu, Kasukabe, Saitama PRF, Japan.
“At first, it’s very hard being away from my parents, especially from my Mom. My sister and I are very close to our Mom since she’s a single parent before she married our stepdad. She decided to work there in Japan in 2008 with our Japanese Dad. We basically learned how to be more independent because we’re used to being pampered and taken cared of by her,” she said.
Even though Reena and her sister are miles away from their mother, they still make time to communicate through Skype, Facebook and WeChat. “We Skype a lot because we like being able to see and talk to each other, it actually feels like we’re not really far from each other even though we can’t really touch each other physically.”
According to her, they are using the Apple’s iPad because it’s more convenient than using the laptop, you can even go around the house or lie in your bed without hassle while video chatting.
Reena even shared to us that way back 2012, they weren’t able to spend Christmas together. They had no choice but to exchange greetings through Skype. They did some creative ways while spending Christmas away from their Mom like showing their delicious foods for Noche Buena, singing Christmas carols and many more.
“Honestly, Christmas Eve without our parents was just like an ordinary night when it’s not supposed to be that way since it’s a special time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. When you think about it, Christmas time is the ultimate family time. You get to prepare and eat Noche Buena with family, exchange gifts, warm hugs and kisses, and hear mass together. But sometimes, to some families, it doesn’t work that way,” she added.
We all know that the reality of being away from our family can be depressing this time of the year but distance should never be a burden from sharing a heartwarming and meaningful Christmas with our loved ones. That’s why Reena and her family are thankful for technology because even though they weren’t able to share the same food for this special time of the year or hear the same mass, they still see and talk to each other and even if it’s only through live video call, they still share the most important thing in every family…love.