The Old Woman

It's a shame I don't remember the name of the old woman who wrapped gifts with me at Myers Warringah Mall on Christmas Eve. She was very pleasant and motherly. I remember being in awe at how she communicated with the people, from a handsomely 6 year old half Indian-half British kid who chose to linger around in our gift-wrapping booth rather than to scour gifts around the Myers store with his mom, to a father who was waiting patiently and cordially with his son for his wife's gift to be wrapped. I mentally took note of her, not only that I like her pleasantness, but she reminded me of the owner of the fictitious Duncan's Toy Chest (which Wikipedia would say was modeled after FAO Schwarz) who gave Kevin the turtle doves in Home Alone 2, only that she is a female.

She might be a Catherine or Kaitlyn, which means Pure. I hope I am sure about this, just so I could forever put a name to my saving grace of a Christmas Eve away from family.

I noticed one common question and answer shared among Sydney's Holiday revelers was, "What are you planning to do on Christmas?" That's hardly being asked in the Philippines since in this country, Christmas is a celebration with a deeply-entrenched tradition of being spent with the family. Otherwise, with friends or worst, alone, is a new news that elicits quick apologies as if it's the most unfortunate sin in the world. In Sydney, that question is almost as jovially received as the good old "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Holidays!" greetings; and I enjoyed listening to Sydneysiders share a part of their lives by answering it.

In the old woman's case, she was spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with her son and his family. This son arrived in Myers at one point of our morning shift, with kid and wife in tow. The sense of pride and deep affection the woman had as she introduced her family to me was unmistakable. There and then, I felt the Christmas Spirit in my midst. For the first time, I did not feel it through the presence of my family, but through an old woman and stranger once who in the regular task of kissing her son, daughter-in-law and grandson hello and making my fleeting intrusion in her life known to them, shows just how strongly her life is built around them. I felt like an intruder alright, but glad at the shy attempt from this old woman to make me feel I belong.

Kaitlyn -- let's assume that really is her name -- lives alone in a bungalow. Her husband passed away a few years ago. Her two sons who are both married and fathers already, live close nearby and do not let every once in a while pass without visiting their mother. I see the sense of pride again when she speaks of how both, with no delay, would hurry to her home at every call of emergency, or even just of the simplest need. Since her husband died, they looked after her with not the slightest hint of hesitance or any condition.

She took a break from her wrapping duties to pay for a toy her grandson grabbed from the shelf and waved at her. Her son, a burly blonde with soft eyes and smile, told her not to buy it, but she insisted. "Come on, he wants it. It's Christmas."

She made me see it, too.

The Old Woman, me, and the Vision Australia/Myers Gift-Wrapping Fundraising Project representative for Warringah Mall, Janey Bloomfield.

The Vision Australia is a non-profit organization that aims to raise funds to afford technology for the blind and resources to help establishments that cater to the blind, sighted or have low vision. For the past years, during the Holidays season, it has teamed up with Myers, a chain of superstores for the upper class, to provide gift-wrapping services to Myers customers for a small fee. All proceeds go straight to the Vision Australia.

I volunteered to wrap gifts in two Myers stores, Blacktown's Westpoint Mall on December 23 and Brookvale's Warringah Mall on December 24. More than anything or anybody, the volunteer experience allowed me traces of Christmas Spirit. Others have long discounted the Christmas Spirit, but not me. I know it when I feel it.