Valentine's Day :)

"Today is Valentine's Day. Or, as men like to call it, Extortion day."

- Jay Leno

Yesterday, I had taken the kids to Southbank, hectares of large rolling parklands along the river - one of the major tourist attractions of the city. I usually love the shady promenade along the river, the tiny rainforests and the tranquil Buddhist temple......the aura of that place really quietens a restless soul. For a moment or two, you can find yourself transported to a different world. Of course a few more paces deep into the parklands and you will come to the greens and the indoor beach littered with kids and parents and then you land with a deafening crash onto reality :)

I had totally forgotten about Valentine's day yesterday despite Madhu showering on us more of her artwork and thoughtful gifts. Both Anna and I do not make a big deal out of this hallmark holiday, it is just another routine day. So when I stepped onto South Bank, I was slightly shocked to see the place overflowing with couples, er....with abundant display of emotions, or should I say passion, ah well you get my point. I don't consider myself a prude but when I have kids in tow, I get worried of what questions might pop out of their mouth.

"But mummy, why are we walking so fast.......my legs hurt."

My brains hurt too, please don't ask me anything, please please.......

"Did you not want to see the slides?"

"Yeah, allright.......Mugi, shall we race then.......ok mummy try to catch us"

Oh no, what have I got myself into??? Maybe I should have spent more time in IKSU :((

But then my thoughts started swirling too keeping in pace with my racing legs and I started questioning the significance of this day. Is it not enough that we spend our lifetimes thinking inwardly of our own lives, our ambitions, our goals, our family, our kids.......do we need another day to work more on ourselves? Or is this a day for those absent minded men who are not wired to remember anniversaries and birthdays but will thankfully remember this day owing to the day being a hallmark moment and will have a chance at making up to their partners? Or another day for couples to settle their differences and wine and dine so they can spend the next 364 days working on being different? After all, when you are in love, do you need a special day to declare it, every single day would be Valentine's day, right? Why do we give in to peer pressure and go around doing or buying things for the mere sake of keeping tradition? I am sure there would have been plenty of chats going around the offices today along these lines........

"Ha, do you know what we did for Valentines yesterday?"

Sighs inwardly, do I really care.....

"Yeah sure, am all excited to hear about it. And you will never believe what I got last night "

Duh.....

Call me jaded or maybe I am suffering from "these grapes are sour" syndrome, but with plenty of problems facing one's survival in this world today, don't you agree with me that this day should be extended to spread more love and kindness to people who desperately need them, especially in these times of recession? Can we not think outside the box and make this day not just about couples but one where instead of mere words on cards, chocolates, flowers and lingerie, we try to reach out to people with meaningful gestures? I remember this incident in a cafe in the US sometime during the festive season (last December), where people started a chain reaction of paying bills for perfect strangers. If you call this day as a day of love, let that love be extended to perfect strangers (albeit deserving ones) too.......let us try make the world a better place to raise our kids in.

You are welcome to critique my thinking or beat me over my post but only after you do something nice for someone other than your partner and put a smile on their face :)) I am sure your partner will also wholeheartedly appreciate this instead of a bunch of flowers that will be going to go the bin a few days later or the chocolates that he/she is going to regret eating a few minutes later. As for the diamonds.......ah come on, which world are we living in :)))

Happy Valentine's day..........