Becoming children again
The year 2013 began, meaning it was time to tidy up my house. I went through and am still going through my closets, giving away things I do not need anymore, things I have outgrown, items I should have thrown years ago. I am clearing everything out to make room in my life for something new, something more meaningful than things I have had before. I have given away three huge black trash bags of clothes, vases, lights, placemats; thrown away two black trash bags of trimmings from my plants. To think I live in a condo!
But that’s not all. January is the month for my relatives to come home and visit from wherever they have decided to live. First came my lovely grandchildren from my oldest daughter, who lives in San Francisco. My daughter doesn’t want to come home but her children did to attend the 80th birthday of their other grandfather. We had such fun times together. I took them all shopping and spent a lot, but never mind. I love them all.
They played basketball together, most of my grandsons, from 10 years old up. It was genuinely delightful to watch them. They were so good. They left early in January to go back to school, to move house, to go back to work. How I miss them all.
But fairly soon after they said goodbye, the oldest daughter of my youngest aunt sent me text. She is a wonderful cousin, seven years younger than me, a lot of fun to talk to and go shopping with. She told me her whole family would be following soon. Then came the oldest daughter of my mother’s oldest sister. Didit, that’s her name. She and I are quite close and enjoyed each other’s company when we were small. Now we are old and still enjoy each other’s company.
One morning, Didit called inviting me to breakfast because two more ladies, whom we viewed as cousins even if they are not technically, had come to town and gotten in touch with her. Would I like to join them for breakfast in the restaurant two blocks down from where I live? Yes! So I rushed over and touched base with old friends. We had been friends since I was 12 years old, I think. Yet when we see each other it’s like we saw each other only last week. Time just dissolves and we are all old friends again.
Just the day before that sudden breakfast, I had gone with my other batch of cousins shopping for furniture. We just went looking from the cheapest to the most expensive store that I could think of. Then we had lunch. Then I left them because I got tired and sleepy. After all, I am getting old.
Before I knew it, it was time for the Carl Jung planning session. This year, we had it at the home of one of our members in Tagaytay. It was a lovely house in a huge wonderful garden. We worked and we also had fun. That’s what I love about Carl Jung. His philosophies are always creative and fun but at the same time very deep and internal. I met most of the people in the Jung group 17 years ago when I read about a Jung festival at the Ateneo and decided to join it. I remember being so tired then and I could not rest. Sleep didn’t do anything to relieve my exhaustion. I felt it was time to do something new.
That’s when I read about the Jung festival. I knew that Jung was a psychiatrist like Sigmund Freud. That’s all I knew then. I signed up and enjoyed it so immensely I even asked if I could attend the sessions for therapists. That festival helped me understand myself and my life. It was one of the best things I ever did.
But back to life now. It has been nothing more than entertaining my family, friends and myself, cleaning out my closets and pruning my plants. In between, whenever I have time, I knit sweaters for me to wear in case my plans for taking a trip to the other side of the world pushes through.
I guess life is like that. It is always full of regular things you have to do and enjoy doing, then suddenly it is full of people you want to see and be with. Next week, I will be going to Laoag to visit my godmother who is over 90 now. A whole batch of us are going, including my youngest aunt and several of her daughters. We will enjoy the Ilocano food and laugh a lot.
I am extremely happy to be bonding with my extended family. It’s like revisiting your childhood, like becoming a child again. Nothing can beat that.
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