Captured by : PG2. ANCHOR - Life is a side-dish
There are twelve months in a year, and yet December is the one that tugs at my heart. It isn’t my birthday month, neither is it my kids’ birthday month, nor is it my anniversary. At this point, the husband never forgets to remind me that we got married in January; and he considers December as his last, single, happy month. So, well, for whatever it might be, we all love December. And the more I see it, the more I see other friends absolutely drool over this month.
It might be that finally we get what we call a winter; a slight early morning chill and late night chill. Or we are so, so done with the year and celebrations in December are a must. Truly speaking, every month has its own special charm and when we throw in our personal affinities, we will all find that we do have a special month. Often times, that month needn’t necessarily be your birth month. I have a friend who thinks February is the sweetest because (and you have to really hear this out) as per him, we work for only 28 days and get paid for 30. And the way, he puts it, it really does make sense. Yet another friend who’s birthday is on February 29 also loves the month, because (and again, you have to really hear this out) she gets a year older only every 4 years.
The great, long lasting Goan summer has a lot of fans and May therefore gains top bill in a lot of people’s list. There are the long, unending summer holidays; there are the heavy, luscious rich mangoes; there are the marriages. What’s not to love? And of course, how can we not love, love, love the famous rains of Goa? I must be an exception - I remember being a new mother in June-July and not liking it one bit “ the unending nappies, the sheets, the tiny socks and tiny bibs - that never dried satisfactorily. Over the years, I have grown to love the rains and having young kids makes me enjoy them all the more.
When there are quaint people like us who love a particular month, there definitely are people who don’t love a particular month. There are some who don’t savour the thought that their birthday or any other special day comes along with festivities. Imagine being a Christmas baby and knowing that your birthday gifts are essentially Santa’s gifts. Or the plight of the babies whose birthdays come in vacations and they get short drift of not celebrating their birthdays in school. I make it a point to celebrate my kids’ May birthdays in the last week of the school year. And let me add , since their birthdays are within a few days of each other, the elder is already warning me not to have one massive birthday party together with the younger one.
With all these different months and their specialties, December continues to be my absolute favourite.
Why can't they change the calendar
to make December
to start the year?
Else, here's Option A :
Would December deign itself
to seep into January
and (if we are really, really lucky) possibly even into February?
continue its march into March?
What shall we do in April
when summer is on the rim?
And the great Goan May
makes every moment longer than the day....
Possibly, memories of a warm December
will see us through the day, every which way.
June-July with the wettest of rains
will remind us of December
And August will desire December's august presence.
Yay! for September
It heralds the start of the months of ber
Which means, nearby is lurking December
Hoping for a quick October
and the quickest November - that worst month of the year
and there shall be December ;
With all its gaiety and cheer!
And a further else , Option B:
May December be the icing
and Seventeen? Well , the proof of the pudding is in the eating, right?
So, we will know about the Seventeen
Only after everything has been and has seen.
Actually, I don’t think I should be calling The Curious Case of December. A more apt name would be The Cute Case of December!
--
Sonia Kuncalienker is an avid writer on matters that have no importance to anyone in the universe
