Death Anniversary Turned Into A Family Reunion (and Birthday Celebration)

3 October 2024

Time truly flies so fast. One 'ber' month is over, and three more months are left in the year. And it's been three months since I returned home from abroad. It was as if it had happened yesterday, but I guess I have to stay longer than planned.

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, we'll be going to celebrate our father's first death anniversary, and it happened on the last day of September. Unexpectedly, the celebration was turned into a family reunion because everyone living in the same province was present. We would have been complete if our brothers from the Manila area had come, but they had respective work to attend to. Later in the afternoon, relatives and some friends also came. In our country, anniversaries are usually turned into reunions. It reflects the rich Filipino values of family and culture.

The preparation started prior to the big event day. The boys butchered the pig early in the morning, and we ladies prepared the ingredients and desserts. It's usually the exhausting part of the preparation for a big celebration in a Filipino tradition, so other families usually hire a cook and other staff to prepare everything. Shopping for necessary things and ingredients is another exhausting part of it. My brothers and mom were the main cooks for this event, and my sister and I prepared most of the desserts and did other stuff. It was exhausting because we slept at four in the morning and woke up after two hours to set up everything for the big event.

To lessen the workload on the event day, we opted to hire a caterer to serve the visitors. Everything was set up before the novena prayer started. The novena is always the first part of a death anniversary before proceeding to eating and other things. I love the simple yet elegant design of the cater, which consists of white, gold, and light blue colors. A total of ten tables were set up inside and outside our house. Each table has a floral centerpiece of white and blue roses on a golden stand with crystal decorations. Its colors complemented the natural surroundings, which created a soft and calming look. Everything has a balance of simplicity and sophistication, which I intended for this event.

After the novena, the feast began. Visitors started to arrive one at a time until all tables were occupied. Relatives, close neighbours, and some friends of my late father came. Everyone was welcomed, even those uninvited. It's normal in a Filipino celebration to welcome outsiders because we are hospitable.

The oldies occupied our dining table, and other visitors occupied our backyard, while we, the younger ones, occupied the tables in our front yard. People kept coming even until night. It was a great decision to hire a caterer. We just sat down, relaxed, and chatted with the visitors. My oldest brother arrived with his family. It was nice seeing them around. On the other hand, my second oldest brother's family arrived later in the afternoon.

I chose the best table facing the small pond next to our house. My other nieces arrived, so I accompanied them. Relatives started to come in the afternoon, and I was able to chit-chat and bond with my cousins again after a long time.

At night, our house was emptied of visitors, and only my immediate family was left. I remember my mom bought a cake for my late father's birthday on the 29th. We took it out and let the toddlers sing the birthday song and blow the candle for my late father. It was a funny scene because the kids couldn't blow off the candle. In the end, it was our mom who blew it. It was odd that three kids couldn't blow off the candle, which little Breiana usually does alone when there is a birthday party at home. While watching the kids, I thought Dad made it so he could watch his grandchildren a little longer. The funny scene is truly memorable.

When I realized that my family was complete, excluding those working in faraway places, I requested a family photo with them because we never had a photo where all of us were in a single frame. Moreover, I was uncertain when we would be completed again since, sooner or later, I needed to leave, so I took the chance and convinced everyone to participate. Grandma later arrived, so she was included. It was hard to fix everyone to get a better shot because the toddlers were naughty.

Three children and two grandchildren aren't here. I wish we'd be all complete in a single frame someday.

I was absent from posting blogs here for about a week because of this event. It was exhausting, yet worth the effort. The day was filled with joy, laughter, and family bonding, creating valuable memories. I then had a wonderful sleep after this event.

Thanks for your time.

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