5 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR ENERGY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Honey, you're gorgeous, but I've never, ever seen you this big before." I looked my father straight in the face and smiled and walked away. I know he means well.

- STEPHANIE ZUBIRI

I know he adores me and loves me unconditionally and has been my fiercest champion. I know he's in his 80s and is two generations above me... but the words sting, nonetheless.

There are days I feel good and don't care. I laugh it off and point at his own portly belly. We hug and kiss and then move on. But there are days when my energy is low, and the comments hurt. I also know there's no use telling him anything because I recognize that the only thing I can really control is how I react to things. Which, I have to admit is not always well.

I know I'm not the only one. "Tumaba ka" - "You got fat" - is quite literally a holiday greeting that's almost as ubiquitous here as "Merry Christmas!" From close family to distant cousins, relatives from overseas and random titos and titas, everyone seems to have an opinion about your life. If it's not about weight gain, it's all other kinds of probing and judgmental questions. Why are you not married? What happened to your ex? Why no boyfriend? When will you have a baby? When is your next baby? You could be a family of five kids, and they'd still not be satisfied.

Add this to the Merrymaking Maritesses and their flurry of gossip under the guise of kwentuhan; sometimes I'd rather just sit out the festivities because I come home feeling far from festive.

I don't exactly want to be a hermit either, and Christmas is such a special time to reconnect with people - so what is one to do? How do we keep that magic and sparkle while keeping our peace and sanity? Here are five ways to protect your energy this holiday season.