How I Departed 2023 and Welcome 2024?

4 months ago (Edited)

It's not all the time that #ofw here in Saudi Arabia are celebrating Christmas day and New Year. I am now 27 years in Saudi but for the first 10 years I was not celebrating it with friends. Well, in my heart I had it but no party or any sign of Christmas to celebrate. Recently, when the Filipino employment are increasing, employers are also open minded. A lot of Christian are already here. Filipinos are fighting for it to celebrate secretly. Until time came that the Crown Prince is already open minded allowing to celebrate in public and allowing expat to rent a venue where to celebrate the Christmas and New Years Day/Eve. The opinion of all the Saudi people or even my employer's clan are divided saying that it is forbidden from the belief of Muslim, the Islam. But educated people already adapted the fact of having Christmas and New Year celebration. In Islam , there are only two feastive season, the Eid Al Fitri for the Ramadan and Eid Al Adha for Hajj month.

My friends, #ofw who are working in my employer's clan, called me that they will be coming to my employer's house. I was hesitant to agree what they wanted. But I felt pity, they are young who love party and it is the only way that they can go out from their house and relax for a while and escape workloads. So I said okay for the sake of my friends.

December 31,in the morning, I was so emotional due to a certain situation that I didn't control my feeling. I am grateful to God that He eased my pain before the New Year's eve.

Goodbye 2023

My friends came and they were so creative making a decoration to welcome 2024.

Before we eat the foods we had, I lead the prayers, giving thanks to God and asking for His guidance all the time. After eating, they danced.

Welcome 2024

We celebrated the New year with happiness, joke and laughter. Since I am the oldest, they hugged telling me that thank you for being a mother figure for them. I got an amazing feeling. I am not rich but I have good friends around in the absence of my family.

We satisfied our food and so blessed.

After the party, their boss picked them up and some of them were just walking. Our houses are near and it's just a walking distance.

New Day

My first selfie in the morning after sleeping. I cleaned the room and enjoyed my first day healthy life.

Dear Lord God,

Thank you on what 2023 brought me to life and surviving all the trials that we had. Thank you for those who helped me. Thank you for the love.

Lord, without you. I hope that 2024 may have abundance to us, good health and more blessings from you. And I owe you the love that I cherished. You know what is hidden in my heart. Bless my son who is just starting his life with his children.Bless them and guide. Without you, we are nothing in this world. I LOVE YOU, manifesting for this 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

That's all!