Beyond the Screen: A Christmas Encounter

Meeting a young Magic Seeker

It has become a December tradition, Make Believe performing Christmas musical storytelling sessions at Ayala Malls Solenad. Besides our Santa appearances, our performances at Solenad have been a way to mark the end of a magic making year, and it’s always been a pleasure to make the trip down south with the rest of our Make Believe family to serve a client that has always been so supportive of our stories and our work (and feeds us really well too hehe!). Since it is oftentimes our last major event of the year, I always find myself relaxing, my body releasing pent up tension and stress from our fast-paced work schedule, and finally opening up and soaking in the holiday spirit.

Our Mighty Magic Making Team, Christmas at Solenad 2024

We were tasked to tell two stories - the first was our own take on the Legend of the Parol about a boy named Juan, who dreamed of being his town Next Pasko Idol. He lacked the flashy talents and abundant resources of his peers, and so crafted a simple lantern to share the light and love within his heart. Our second story was The Christmas Angel, an original tale about a young angel who fails miserably at tasks such as Angel Appearance and Message Delivery 101, but discovers her own unique way of delivering a inspiring message of love on Christmas day. I immensely enjoyed writing and staging both, and I am thrilled to include these stories in Make Believe’s holiday offerings. One of my favorite moments was when we received child volunteers from the crowd, who gamely participated in the angel appearance and message delivery lessons!

A young volunteer, hilariously giving it his all during the Message Delivery 101 lesson in the story ‘The Christmas Angel.’

But perhaps my favorite moment was an encounter I had after the performances had ended. I was in the middle of helping pack away our various art materials (we also facilitated themed art activities before each story), when I was approached by a family of three.

“Teacher Lesley?” the mother asked, her daughter and husband in tow. I smiled and confirmed that I was indeed she. She introduced me to her daughter and shared that they were big fans from when I was doing Facebook live storytelling sessions during the pandemic. Another wonderful client of ours, Ayala Malls Alabang Town Center, approached us very early during the pandemic to do activities for kids on their Facebook page every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I handled Storytelling Mondays, Make Believe stalwart Teacher Nini did art on Wednesdays, and Fridays usually offered a variety - from dance with Teacher Mika, to cooking with Teacher Ria, and makeup with Teacher Niña or Teacher Aria. We did this for about a year and it gave me and my fellow Make Believers the wonderful opportunity to connect and still make magic with kids and families during the lockdowns.

They shared that their daughter was three or four at the time and always insisted on dropping everything in time for my live storytelling sessions. Every Monday, she would keep her eyes on the clock, always asking her Mom, “Is it time for storytelling?” She then would get so “kilig” every time I would give her a shoutout or read out their comment during the stream. Her mom then mentioned that they stayed up to date on Make Believe activities and even went to our Solenad Christmas event the previous year in the hopes of meeting me. One year later, that wish had finally come true.

I was enchanted to meet you.

We took pictures and I thanked them for all their support, and shared how much of a pleasure it was to meet them in person. I continued packing up after we said our goodbyes but then to my surprise, the father returned. He shook my hand and said, “Thank you. Thank you for helping her make it through the pandemic. We will always be grateful.” He shook my hand one more time, then left.

I stood there and felt the tears welling up in my eyes. I remember those live sessions - how they were a lifeline to Make Believe and made a way for our business to still continue during an uncertain time. I remember having to figure out live streaming and and needing to create a mini studio in the living room of our cozy condominium unit. I remember being a one-woman production team, from doing set-up to managing tech to performing. I remember Pipo and Sophie being incredibly supportive despite my commandeering most of the space at home and being so loud during storytelling that their own online calls for school and work were affected. I remember heart-stopping moments when the internet would fluctuate and as I fumbled to fix the connection, I would repeat to myself the reassurances I shared with my audience members - “If the screen freezes or your internet stops working - don’t panic! You will find your way back.” I remember days when the depression and despair were overwhelming - I did not want to think about running a business, how Make Believe was bleeding money, if we needed to close - on those dark days, the live sessions gave me a reason to get out of bed, put on a face, and just show up and do the work. I remember wiping my tears, taking a shaky breath, hitting the live button, then smiling and saying “Hello Kids! This is Teacher Lesley. I have a question. Do you love stories?” just hoping and wishing there would be someone on the other end who was watching, who was learning, who was deriving even the smallest hope and joy and magic from what we were doing.

It turns out there was. And that fills me with so joy. Telling stories matters, and to forge these connections with children and families is a great privilege and gift. Time and again, the work of telling stories saves me too.

That encounter also makes me think about doing short storytelling videos and shows again. Who knows? We just might :-)