He Calls Me Nonna

Nate,  about a month old. He is my precious grandson.

How can you even know how precious your baby is until you feel the soft touch of his fingers on your face, the complete trust he has in you as you hold his hands and take a step or two, the smile on his face as he recognizes your voice, the warm embrace, the wet kisses on your face, the moments you pick him up and he snuggle close to you, safe and warm in your arms. It’s the unspeakable happiness he shows when you are around and the inexpressible love that  makes him so precious, so loved, so treasured.

Nate and his mom…

He is turning three in a few days, a lovable and smart kid. Time flies…too soon.

He definitely enjoyed attending a Halloween party at his mom’s office.

I always look forward to the days when they visit me and Nate’s shouts of “I love you Nonna”.  A warm hug, a tight embrace, a wet kiss on the cheeks, what more could one ask for.

Advertisement

Light

Every time I see a lighted candle, I am always reminded of this song entitled One Little Candle. We still sing it during masses  now and then.

♫♪♫It is better to light just one little candle
Than to stumble in the dark.
Better far that you light just one little candle,
All you need is a tiny spark.
If we’d all say a prayer that the world would be free,
A wonderful dawn of a new day we’d see…
And if everyone lit just one little candle,
What a bright world this would be♫♪♫

Have you ever watched a flickering candle and thought of so many things?  Tomorrow, we celebrate All Saints Day here and it happens to be a Sunday which is a blessing. It’s been my mom’s tradition that every year that we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day, we offer masses for our dear departed and pray the rosary specifically for them.  We make an offering at the altar, a complete meal sometimes and let the candles burn overnight near our front door. The following day, mom buries the food in one corner of the garden as soon as she wakes up and say a prayer that the saints and our dear relatives would keep watch over us.

In our province in Pangasinan, mom would invite neighbors to pray the rosary with them then prepare simple snacks (mostly coffee and rice cakes or bread) that they would share after prayers. I have continued the tradition, the only difference is, the ritual is just within our home with family members participating or whoever is available to pray with us. I usually buy kakanin and cook pasta or pancit.  The thing is, you should not taste those snacks set on the table until after you have finished praying.

Josef and I attended anticipated mass tonight because early tomorrow we would go to the wet market to buy ingredients for the two occasions that we are celebrating.  All Saints and All Souls days used to be  regular holidays in the Philippines and I think they are commemorated by every Catholic worldwide but for the past few years, November 2 is now taken off the holiday calendar..  All our departed close relatives were  buried in the province so I just make time to visit the cemetery whenever I get the chance to go home.

Do you celebrate Halloween? Do your kids look forward to trick or treating? What’s with the pumpkin?