#bakutoe

Christmas is not the same as it was back then

Now black and white, no room for jolly

I find myself looking at children, playing like there was no tomorrow

And I realized we were once like that too

We were once the children who came home, sweaty and nails laced with dirt from picking up bugs and shoving it in each others faces

We were once the children who cheered when ice cream was served

We were once the children who sneaked into the yet-to-be-prepared banquet, taking pieces of the lechon

And as far as I remember, these traditions were constant during Christmas

Perhaps, it was us that changed.As time went on, we are now the teenagers who grip their phones everywhere, waiting for a message from their friends

We are now the teenagers, who exchange a few quick glances across the room, and nods to each other as greetings

We are now the teenagers, applying for college because college is too soon than it was back then

Maybe Christmas is the same, but we are no longer the kids we once were

Maybe this is the bittersweet price to pay for aging

And as time goes on, the red, green, and white turns into monochrome

And as our lives continue, each with our own separate ways,