Hello friends and Hivians. I hope all is well and Happy Hive Power Up Day. For my Filipino friends and others the "Ber" months are now amongst us now🎄 Today has a little bit more to it for me than just celebrating #HPUD and thinking of the biggiest holiday season in December. it's a day I forever have sketched in my mind due to an event that happened so many years ago.
Above is a picture of my father as a young man outside the family cafe his parents owned. This was long before I was born or even thought about. It's one of my favorite pictures of him and is displayed in a picture frame in my home.
Today marks the day that my father passed away. It was a friday evening some time ago in 1989. At the time I was in high school (age 15) under the lights dressed up in football gear warming up for a season opener football game. My best friend's father and the head football coach were the ones that gave me the bad news. I went from one set of emotions to another in the drop of a hat. The first thought in my mind was getting home and hugging my mom. I held back the breaking down emotions on the drive home but I could no longer once I fell into my mother's arms.
So on this day I always start this day looking up to the heavens and saying, "Hi Dad" and letting him know he has not been forgotten and is missed every day. Today seems different than others though as I will turn 51 later this year, same age my father was when he passed. It feels like it's a bigger reminder this year as I flip the order of numbers of 15 in 1989 to 51 later in 2024.
Anyways that's the start of my September 1st every year since that sad day. Sometimes I shed tears but when I'm done reflecting I just smile knowing that he is doing well with the company he's with from above. Today is a tear jerker one (I'm sorry) as I'm reflecting a bit more putting it down into words.
Well it's September 1st and it marks the beginning of the "Ber" months something very special in the country of the Philippines. The last four months of the year all end in ber (September, October, November & December). There is no other other country that celebrates Christmas longer than Filipinos. September is the start of the Christmas celebrations there. So go get those decorations, put them on the tree and go out caroling. You think about it why not start the holidays sooner and make it last longer.
Well what is my contribution to kick off Christmas super early? I share this Christmas tree photo with you at one of my relatives from a Christmas from the past. I can't bring myself to get a tree or hang decorations quite yet because my American cultures & customs have a strong hold on me 😂 if I do decide to decorate a tree for Christmas it will be after the Thanksgiving holiday (4th Thursday of November) here.
I will add one more thing though to be a little festive, "Merry Christmas." Yes I say this with great joy, a smile and a good chuckle. I wish I could have found a Santa hat that is somewhere around here. I was planning to play Santa and give him a bit of a cool factor at my expense. Oh well, I will do it but I might need a reminder or else I might forget to do it, ho ho ho!
One last thing, sill acting In the Christmas spirit, I have decided to delegate to both the Hive Philippines and the Silver Bloggers Community. Exactly 150 hive each to both of them. I had already delegated to Hive Philippines previously.
Alright I need to speak a bit on the Silver Bloggers Community. I've been a member for a few months now and recently have received my Silver name. I decided on the name "Cool Silver" to pay homeage to my similar Hive username. I like to think I'm cool 😎 but that is all subjective to what everyone else thinks 😂 I'm over 40 which is a requirement to be part of this community. I may be older with a mixture of silver on top of my noggin but that doesn't mean I have to be dull or boring so I believe "Cool Silver" is very fitting.
Oh it feels good to finally reach 5000 HP. At the beginning of the year I set a goal to reach 5500 HP and I'm way ahead of that goal as I should cross that sometime this month. Now before years end I should be well over 6000 HP which I'm pretty stoked about. Ok I'll go ahead and set a new goal and shoot for 6500 HP by January 1st.
Well it's another first of the month and I made another Hive Power Up Month. This is my fourth consecutive month and my nineth overall. There were a few days I almost forgot and I think this happens to a lot of us that go for this achievement. Just glad to be standing here yet again knowing I powered up at least 1 hive every day 😁
Before I show you my power up today I show you two new users I decided to power up. It's something I typically do every month to let them know this community can be very special. Not only that but maybe encourage them to keep Hiving. We can never be too low on Hive users.
Welcome to Hive @melll & @renacris. I hope you both enjoy your experiences here and become family amongst us all here in this great community. Cheers hope to see more from the both of you 😁
Here's me powering up myself. Not small but not super large, 200 hive still feels good though. It's what I have left over from the month after leaving an amount for the next HPUM. Well I'm still growing here to soon meet another HP goal. We all grow we all win! Happy HPUD again everyone.
Take care, stay safe, and let's enjoy the new month ahead. Until next time!