The festival of lights is here! And so is the festive season. This edition brings you hope and faith in your lives. Also, there’s a debate over a suitable boy for Kate. Read on…

Eleanor is on a mission to educate her grandson about different cultures and practices that are now part of our lives. Though Andrew is too young to understand the meaning of the word or connotation of the word ‘secular’, the importance of festivals like Hanukkah is important for him. That’s what Eleanor told Andrew’s parents, Mike and Lisa. In her effort to enlighten Andrew on the festival of lights, she told him the story and the history that resulted in Hanukkah being a widely observed festival.

There is a subtle message that Hanukkah brings along. That is one of hope and bright prospects for the future. The ceremonial light of this eight-day long Jewish festival promises a new awakening, a new dawn of light in an otherwise bleak scenario. It’s also important how such festivals are shedding their regional tag and brimming over their flavor to different sections of society. It’s not just Christmas that is a pan-cultural festival anymore. And that is certainly good news for everyone.

When you talk to me about hugs, I’m reminded of that video on ‘free hugs’. That was one popular and, I have to admit, touching video. But the video also brings to mind a question: would you be comfortable being hugged by strangers on a subway station or on the road? I put this question across to my friends. Adrian said that he was not too fond of being close to people he didn’t know at all. “A hug from an old pal is fine, but from a person I had no clue about, heck no!”, he said.

Kate had some paranoid feelings about this. Kate reasoned, “You need not hug a person on the road to make that connection! You can just smile and say ‘Hello’!” Kate narrated an incident in a mall when she spoke to an elderly lady. “I didn’t have to reach out and hug her to say I felt good talking to her,” Kate said. I agree with both of them. When you are actually interested in making a human connect, the intention to do so finds an expression by default. You need not hunt out ways voluntarily. And spontaneous acts always register directly in the heart.

The festive season is here! This is the time that we all wait for. This is when we leave the cares and worries back in the cupboard and reinvent ourselves. I was talking to Donna about the year that has gone by. I was fondly reminiscing the times when all our friends got together, the achievements and the disappointments. When you look back, the lives that we lead daily tend to blur and appear in a haze. It’s only the moments we create that stand out like sparkling stars.

Donna corrected me. She said, “Each day teaches us something. We may not remember the incidents, but the lessons get etched on our minds.” This got me thinking. Have I actually learnt something in the past year? Yes, these months have made me more mature as a person. I think I’m better at the many roles I play: as a friend, a son or a professional. As we move towards these joyous days, I would like you to turn the clock back. Pick up those threads and start afresh.

With the question of marriage looming large on the horizon, Kate asked Megan if it’s a good idea to go ahead with this. Readers of my newsletters know that her steady partner Henry was giving her the snub till a few days back. The speculation is that he was seeing someone at work. He has rectified his ways since Kate had a straight chat with him. But he’s never really apologized for breaking her heart. This is like a gnawing worry at the back of her mind. And that is what stopping Kate from pinning him as Mr. Right.

Megan knows about this, so does our close network of friends. Kate isn’t someone who will keep something hushed up among friends. When Megan was asked, she was quick to point this out. She said, “He never really realized what he did, right? I’m not sure if he fully understands where he was headed!” Megan suggested that Kate make Henry realize that he cannot get away with something like this in the future, especially when they are in a marriage bond. Unless the parameters of the relationship get defined, Kate is wary of going ahead with it.

Here’s an Albert Einstein quote to keep you company this week: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”