My Long Weekend

The embrace of the rural atmosphere takes me back to my primary years. The complimentary impression of carelessness and innocence made me forget the rush of the daily chase against the buzzer. Leaning against the worn-out bamboo sofa and just letting the breeze caress my very essence made me think: this is what loosening up feels like.

Nowadays, I often overhear a few of my teammates talking about their extravagant vacations. Boracay, Palawan, Kawasan, and even the anticipated Disneyland, to name a few, I sometimes got an invite to take part in their getaway, and more often than not, I turned it down. Aside from the exhaustion it would cause my body, it would cost me a lot. way beyond my allocated expenses within that 15-day range. If I ever involved myself in it, the estimated cost would be multiplied by four. That is to my wife, my two children, and me. Another option, as proposed by my wife, is that I will be the only one to go. But thinking ahead and putting myself at their destination would also be pointless. I would only be wasting my time, effort, and money. I would only be thinking about my family back home. Are they taking their meal already? Or as simple as, did everything go well in my absence? So to put it bluntly, every time they would ask me to go with them, I always gave them my straight-forward response: no.

So whenever we find time, or as occasion imposes, we would visit my children’s grandmother or, oftentimes, the house of a friend. As of the moment, we are bringing my entire family with just our presently worn clothes and nothing to change into for a sleepover of a night or two at the house of a friend across the overlooking mountainside. not that the other time we are here makes any difference. Whenever there are occasions to celebrate, not just the typical birthdays or anniversaries, we are just cooking to celebrate Mama Mary’s birthday. Being here, we are experiencing the most pure of what nature can give.

Being caught up in the question of how to spend my long weekend or my long vacation, I step back and think about it old-school. Would it be practical to spend so much time, effort, and money? Setting aside the practicality thing, how about keeping this in mind? Would it make you feel happier than spending time with the people who are the source of your happiness and strength? Whether a friend or a family member, they are simply my family, beyond the boundaries defined by blood and papers.