The Essence of Family Day in my Teenage Life

       

Families should let their relationship grow and bloom, not withered and dead. Picture retrieved from familytreeshop.com

            As I continue to grow up and almost reaching the legal age, a lot has changed, from the things I used to see or pass as I go to school to the people I converse with everyday. And in my teenage journey, my relationship with my family and friends over the years did not escape from being altered. Well, change is inevitable and despite my unwillingness to the bittersweet changes, it seems that my willpower could not stop it and because of the changes, I slowly became a person with a chaotic mind.

           Ever since I became a high school student, it keeps getting harder and harder each passing day to juggle my time with my friends, my family, my studies and my responsibilities as part of the student body especially now since as a tenth grader I also have to take part in CAT. 

          My relationship with these people have become strained and at times, awkward. Sometimes, I barely see them such as my mother since my departure from our house is quite early and my arrival at home is late, I couldn't be on time to see my mother leave the house for work or arrive from work this is because being a nurse, her schedule of duty could be in the morning or in the evening. Another example is my sister, since she is a college student and mayor of their class, she has to be home late to handle some tasks so my interaction with her is cut short due to her exhaustion. As for my brother, ever since I was a kid, I find it hard to be close with him, maybe its because people always compare us and because of that I feel like I have to compete with him or maybe its because we are opposite from each other. And just like with my family, my friends and I have become distant despite being in the same campus but I can't blame them for they have problems they need to face however, because of these I easily get distracted or my attention would be somewhere else and that stresses me out. 

           As a teenager, my emotions and mood plays a big role in my thinking and perception. That would mean if I am feeling joyful, my productivity would soar high but if I am down, it would result to me snapping at almost everyone or my mind being elsewhere. The latter often happens and the reason for that is because loneliness is not for me. Many what ifs and problems would bombard and worry me every now and then each day and it's very hard to be collected when I don't have a person to become my pillar and my strength.

          When this year just started, I was excited for Family Day since its usually held and celebrated during the month of January,  for this year it was held last January 26, 2020, Sunday. As date comes nearer, my excitement could not be contained as it bubbles my energy. Family Day is a special day for me not only because I get to celebrate a magnificent and holy day with my Asianista Family but because that day is a therapy to my emotionally unstable self. My family and friends are my strength when I hit rock-bottom so being able to spend the day with them is a bliss. 

           I always look forward to Family Day because I believe that it is important to build bridges and connection with each other especially when a child is at the so called "rebellious stage" a.k.a teenage stage, at this stage teenagers are very hard to control or to discipline as they will start to think they can stand on their own now. This day is an opportunity for every families to reconnect and it is also an opportunity for the parents to take a glimpse of their child's second home and meet their second family. Families are able to sit back and enjoy the day without thinking of any thing and do simple activities without any interference like having dinner because at home, family dinners are useless when all the things you talk about is school and/or work, I even don't enjoy our family dinner that much because that's what exactly happens in our dinner. This day was the only day where we didn't have any fights and bickers, I could safely say that Family Days is not only an opportunity to reconnect but also to realize and reflect.

Grade 10 students reigned as the champions for the Family Day Dance Palabas 2020. Picture from Emmy Julve. 

            During the Family Day,  I was able to let my parents see the dance palabas that my batch practiced with so much perseverance. I was quite proud to know that my parents saw our hardwork and was even more delighted that we won the dance palabas competition four years in a row. The way my parents gushed at how our dance look so good and unique out of all the levels that performed made my heart swell with pride, that was probably the highlight of my day. Aside from that, I remembered when we were about to perform, we prayed and cheered together as one and at that moment I realized how close we are and how mature we have become that we were able to set aside our differences misunderstandings with each other.

A picture with my long time friend before Sinulog. Picture from Emmy Julve.

            There are also events that are worth to tell such as our Sinulog, I think that was the first time that the Junior Highschool Department danced together with the Elementary with the Senior Highschool drummers as our accompaniment. Although it was a messy and confusing Sinulog, I had fun. Aside from that, the competition of the Tribal Family, a 2 years old event ( as far as I remembered, it was only last year where the King and Queen competition was held), is also one of the competitions that we were looking forward to for the results and fortunately, we won.

Our performance during the Dance Palabas. Picture from Elvira Tadios.

            However, in my opinion, I feel like this year's Family Day is more on competitions because from booth to t-shirt design, it is a competition unlike when I was a kid, it was more on parlor games where everyone are able to play together with their parents to represent their grade level. I think those moments were very fun and memorable because at that time I really saw everyone participated and just a few were being a bitter-gourd. I really hope that they bring this kind of family day back where it's just silly games and one or two competitions were held. But nonetheless, my experience last Family Day is a memory that I would treasure and reminisce from time to time.

            Our relationship with our families, whether by blood or by choice, are important to maintain even though we would reach the age where we can live our lives without any guidance from our parents or where we can make our own family. Our family will always be by our side for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, they will always be our source of strength and courage, our little push to become better and our home. Whether reconnecting severed ties or strengthening bonds or just a casual and informal gathering, there should always be a family day every time there is an opportunity because every moments in life we should cherish it together with the people who gave us our lives, with the people who accepted our flaws and with the people who loved us truly. Because Love is Family, Family is Home.

My family, my home. Picture from Elvira Tadios.