104 March 2014 www.womanthismonth.com she says My Red Reindeer by BEHNAZ SANJANA Come festive season and an inexplicable feeling grips you. There’s a quiet excitement buzzing about the place. Why let it go when the festivities have passed? So Valentine’s Day has come and gone with a burst of red hearts and flowers. Young love blossomed and the more (ahem) mature variety just got stronger. But Valentine’s Day is about rejoicing love of all kinds and across all relations. Children living far away call folks back home. Spouses exchange gifts and mushy messages accompanied with those little red and pink hearts. And most likely, Hallmark goes laughing all the way to the bank. But I don’t only reminisce the day St Valentine played hero. It wasn’t long ago that I put away the small but exquisitely decorated Christmas tree adorning my living room. The shiny baubles have been stowed away in boxes and the twinkling lights have been wound up neatly. I sometimes look wistfully at the now empty spot that used to be proof of the past season’s joy. Even though what I deem to be the best part of the year is past us, the festive spirit in us doesn’t have to be. Imagine a trail of contentment left behind by Christmas Day, and one of love and belonging by Valentine’s Day, in which to revel in. How about we still smile at strangers, hum while we work, give people some much-needed leeway and bake gingerbread cookies? What happens if we keep in touch with family and friends more often? Wouldn’t we be better off in our amorous relationships if we made our partners feel extra special more often than just a day in February? Call me a hopeless romantic, but I believe it will only make us celebrate the next festive occasion with greater verve and sincerity. Yes, it’s true that we get so caught up in life’s nitty-gritty that we tend to forget to spread the joy and count our blessings. At least I do. To remind myself of the happiness and hope that I must live in and emanate, I have reminders hanging about my space. So if you ever see an elegant, palm-sized red reindeer with a golden collar hanging on a front door, you’ve found me.
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