Why do we all spend Easter in the beach? This thought flitted in and out of my mind last Wednesday as we packed what seemed like my entire household into plastic crates for a few days at the beach. I was stumped for an answer; I still am. Maybe because it's the hottest time of the year. Is it? Tradition perhaps, but whose and who started it? I'd like to hunt him down and make him do the packing for me next year (canned laughter goes right in here).
Aside from the 40,000 years worth of groceries that we rammed into the van, I had to make sure I brought enough chips to drown Belli in and chocolate fondue for Bidi to swim in come Easter (they gave up chips and sweets respectively for 40 days and 40 nights as their Lenten sacrifice) Bravo, they did it! "Mom, it feels so good to know that I worked this hard for something," 9-year-old Bidi said to me. He got desperate several times during those 40 days and I felt so bad for him that I tried giving him little pieces of cake, but he flat-out refused. He left the table as soon as dessert was brought in. He endured! Bravo! I am oh so proud! Belli had no trouble abstaining at all, in fact, she's still at it! I gave her all the chips as prize but she said, "I've gone this far, might as well find out how much farther I can go." The young truly puzzle me.
I gave up beef and pork for Lent. Yes, I was masungit for 40 days and nights. To intensify the agony somebody ordered lechon to be served on Maundy Thursday. All I could do was stare at it in contempt. I comforted myself by thinking that it looked gross. I managed to convince myself as I inspected it up close. Yuck!!! The tongue was hanging out of its mouth. The cook said that it must have been in distress at the moment of roasting. Double triple gross! This mind-over-matter thing does work from time to time. But guess what I just had to make up for all that anguish? Longganisa from Tuguegarao from the Carags!!! Yum!!!
The kids learned all about self-control this Lenten season. Their abstinence was self-imposed; I had no hand in it at all. I never did anything like that at 9 and 12 years of age. I am in awe of them!
But having said that, I take it back because not having installed a TV at the beach house was a conscious choice to promote "a communing with nature" (to be all dramatic about it). But the children played their PSP, PS2, DS, Gameboy, Guitar Hero, etc. Their noses were buried in electronics when a only few steps from where they lounged was the wide open ocean..kids these days, they really puzzle me. Okay, that was an exaggeration. They did swim for hours on end but as soon as they were on dry land, it was back to the electronics.
Oh, and yes, satanic verses were thrown my way, in quick bursts. Her mood swings are getting worse but then, what to do? I did get the urge to just jump her and claw at her insides but these people have multiple lives; they live on. So I just looked forward to my longganisa.
Happy Easter!
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