Worldly Wednesday - Who Says You Can't Go Home?

6 more sleeps till I head back home to the Philippines. I can't wait! I'm so excited I can hardly sit still.

I've been doing this "pilgrimage" for 5 years now and I've developed certain rituals as I make the trek home. After clearing immigrations and security at JFK, there's a long hallway that leads to the departure gates and as I'm taking that long walk, I listen to Bon Jovi's Who Says You Can't Go Home. I do this every time to officially kick off my travel - the 16 hours to my first layover, then the next 3 to 4 to get to Manila. I love it. Taking the walk with my iPod blasting this song gets me so giddy with excitement. Just thinking about it makes me do the jumpy claps!

Home for me now is in a city called Marikina, which I think is kind of like a suburb of Manila. When I was growing up though, the first home I can vividly remember was in a place called Sampaloc. I make it a point to revisit my childhood home because it reminds me of my humble beginnings and the blessings I now have. It reminds me of how extraordinary my parents are for the sacrifices they selflessly made to give their children a fighting chance at a good life. We didn't have much back then, but I remember a very happy childhood. I never felt deprived and I was always so happy and grateful for what I had.

I guess I need this yearly reminder because sometimes, I find myself whining about not having this or not being able to afford that. Back then, I think I had 2 pairs of shoes and I loved and cherished them both to pieces. Now, I sometimes complain about not having the right shoes to go with my outfit as I stare at a walk-in closet full of them. We've had to cut back on luxuries such as eating out because of the economy and I find myself feeling deprived or less fortunate, even as I stare at a pantry full of food, that I'm just too lazy to cook. I forget that there are people out there who are lucky if they have even just one square meal for the day.

I'm not proud of this admission and at the risk of sounding sanctimonious (sorry, I really don't mean to) and in the spirit of the Holiday season, I hope we can start counting and feeling grateful for our blessings. It sounds simple in theory, but hard to practice...the act of counting what we have and not dwelling on what we want, can't have, can't afford or can't do. As the new year approaches, I for one will try to be more mindful and grateful for all that I have - a sound home, 2 cats, 2 dogs and a man who loves me...(I know this because every time I come home, I am showered with sloppy kisses, vigorous tail wags and excited barks...and that's just from Chris!) While my once a year homecoming may not be enough to keep me grounded and grateful all the time, I can always count on my friend Debra and my family to keep me honest for the rest of the year. And for this, I am truly grateful.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Here's a picture of my first home. We lived in the second floor of the building in the middle background of the picture (where the airconditioner is in the window - and no, we didn't have this growing up!)