Christmas is Christmas

Last week we spent in Madras or Chennai as it is called now . Well, it was always Chennai but now even those who called it Madras say Chennai . I say both . Love the way both sound . Anyway , I digress...

We were in Chennai over Christmas . Hmmm Christmas . Not Happy Holidays or anything else . Just Christmas . Unlike other nomenclatures , Christmas is and always will be Christmas ; no matter how hoarse people cry themselves and bring Good Governance Days and such like celebrations to hijack this day of Love , Peace and Joy away from us .

SO back to Christmas in Chennai . Not just the churches of which there are so many beautiful ones in this city .Every store and restaurant , be it the Malls, showrooms , Saravana Bhavan or Lloyds Tea House or you name it , had a beautiful Christmas Tree and
decorations put up and the happiness and good cheer was palpable .

Restaurant Menus too had the spirit stamped all over them . And there was a wonderful feeling of assimilation and amalgamation as I saw a man in prayer remove his foot wear as in a temple and the Kolam side by side with the buntings ....

Made one wonder at the stupidity of people who try to negate the universality of this great tradition .
My special moment was on Christmas Day itself ......

Happy Christmas folks . Happy making love and friendship and finding joy and peace . You don't have to go too far ...it is right there . Just look around you . More importantly , look within you She walked up to me and showed me her pretty painted fingernails and looked at mine almost the same shade and said we were sisters . This was during our walk on Christmas Morning last week in Chennai . We had just wandered into the grounds and the beautiful Church of The Little Sisters of the Poor I think it is called . She smiled at me with glowing eyes and said she was so happy with the Christma...s gifts she received that morning . The slightly worn but still elegant looking pink Salwar Kameez and the matching nail paint . Given by some kind soul like you she said . Smiling at me You see, she explained , I am an inmate here .I am 71 years old she said proudly .... Looking good no? I hugged her and we stood like that for a while ..

 

And when I came back to Bombay , a specially wrapped box of Christmas goodies  , Rum Balls and all , waiting for me .....