Dear 123Greetings subscriber,

Hey buddies ! Let me tell you what’s in store for you this week. We start with the flowers (Primrose Day) and go nostalgic with Kindergarten Day, munch our way through Hot Dog Day… (yup, real yummy, take a look) and get back into our cubicles on Administrative Professionals’ Day. It promises to be a fun ride, hop on !

I vividly remember the incident that occurred on last Primrose Day. Well, I had collected a bunch of primroses from my garden and was walking towards Megan’s place on Primrose Day. And I saw that cute little blind girl on the pavement. She was reclining on a lamp post and strumming a tune on her guitar. A piece of cloth was spread in front of her and a few cents were scattered around. She never stopped her strumming even when there was a clink of a coin on the cloth. Her face remained passive and aloof, unaffected by the world around. I bent down to place a cent on the cloth and her voice quivered… I looked up to see what was wrong and I could see her nostrils flare… the smell of the flowers ! And then I saw a miracle unfold ! The facial creases smoothening slowly into a smile, she placed her guitar down, and reached out in my direction or rather towards the fragrance… And I did what I had to do; I gave her the flowers which she held close to her chest and yes, made my day !

I am gonna recount one of the incidents that happened during my childhood. My dad was forbidden from smoking cigarettes inside the house by my mom. And as for the cigars, he was not allowed to smoke them anywhere ! When he came home from work, he would go, “Honey” and give my mom a peck on the forehead. He would lift me by the hips and throw me up as high I would go over his head, laugh aloud, and give me a tobacco-reeking kiss on the cheek. And I used to giggle and struggle. After dinner, dad used to sneak his way to the terrace and light a cigar while I kept watch. He used to say, “Bob, this is our little secret !” I was so happy to be a part of a secret and felt so proud… It was Husband Appreciation Day and my mom gave him a wrapped up gift. He hurriedly tore it open to find… a pack of Cuban Cigars ! For the first time in my life, I saw the Big Man go shy and red and blush like a teen… Wow !

Well, I met Megan, my childhood chum, when I entered kindergarten. Her mom dropped her to school and she came in wailing. I by then had finished my share of sobbing and was sitting bewildered. But on seeing her wail, I picked up the cue and we both started crying rhythmically. When nobody cared for a long time, we got tired and joined the sober group of kids. I learnt the alphabets quick but the numbers slow. She was good in both, but I beat her to the words and scribbled ‘Megan’ on my notebook. Hmm… well, she got to her first sentence before I did. But instead of writing she said it aloud, “Ma’am, Bob is disturbing me !” and looked at me proudly. Of course, I got exactly two whacks on the back and my cheeks were pulled once. We became friends ! Today is Kindergarten Day and I’m gonna surprise her with a card that will bring the nostalgic moments back !

April 21 is a red-letter day in our office. It’s the day when Ron fell out of his chair ! A total crash ‘n burn scenario, if you know what I mean… I didn’t tell you the story, did I ? Lemme blurt it out before Ron gets wind of what I’m up to ‘n throttles me to death ! It all began last April Fool’s Day. It was a total disaster as far as pulling the ol’ foodie’s leg was concerned ! All our pranks and tricks fell flat as the cunning fellow saw through it all. And all day he sat with that irritating smug look on his face. There had to be some way to shock Ron ! So the rest of us got together and hatched a plan… Operation Hot Dog ! On April 21st, Mr. Big called an emergency meeting, and glared at Ron when he made the announcement ! Our resident fast food gourmet was so nervous; he even forgot that it was Hot Dog Day ! Imagine his surprise when he rushed into the boss’ cabin in a state of panic, only to find the whole gang sitting around a mini-carton of frankfurters and hollering, “Hog the dogs, ye mangy dog !” He plopped down on a chair in total bewilderment; and the next thing we knew, there was a thud and the huge fellow was sprawling on the floor ! We still have a dent where he fell (wink, wink **).

I’ll tell you about an incident that happened on last April Showers Day. The season was spring and my mood was sprightly. My new friend Aaliyah and I were strolling by the lake. The sun was bathing us with its warmth and the breeze caressing us to smile more; the day was redefining the synonyms of joy ! There we were no words spoken… soaking in the ambience and feeling closer than we have ever felt ! Her curly tresses purposely fell on her forehead to take a peek at those lovely eyes. Instinctively, I tried to brush the hair off her face; she held my hand and we sprawled child-like on the grass. Sounds of the birds returning to their nests and their mates; the male ones giving me a “You lucky fella” look, a streak of rainbow breaking out to watch the spectacle, the sun collecting its rays and heading home giving way to a drizzle, and then the shower ! We sat there smiling through the rain drops, vision blurred, in the lap of nature and I broke the silence, “Aaliyah, Life is beautiful !” And she smiled again.

“They don’t get it, do they ?” That, if you can believe me, was Kate in a philosophical mood ! Yes, we all know her as the easygoing Barbie doll in office… but even she gets into these moods once in a while. We’d gathered at our geeky buddy Steve’s place for an impromptu get-together last Sunday evening. Steve taught Kate how to use the telescope to look up at the stars and showed her a picture of Earth taken from space. It was really beautiful – a glimpse of our home planet from the darkness of space ! That was when Kate went preachy and mused, “Why can’t we all live in peace ? The geographical boundaries should blur and the wars should stop while peace prevails !” Steve was in total agreement and voiced his opinion, “Wouldn’t earth be a really beautiful place then ?” When Steve looks down from the heavens and talks on worldly matters, people do tend to listen. Hmmm… on this Earth Day, let’s take an oath to not to destroy our habitat and of course, wish and thank those who have helped to make a little difference to our lives. As Steve says, “It’s the only home we have…”

You know it’s Spring when Kelly starts to sing ! Her garden is in full bloom ‘n she goes La-la-lala all over the place ! Last time I saw her out of my window crooning to herself and shouted, “The game is over, ‘coz the fat lady’s started to sing !’ She got sooooo mad, I tell you, and she cut me off from her cookie treats for a week after that ! Well, Spring is in the air again and the cuckoos are in song. This Cuckoo Day I’ll send Kelly a lovely card ‘n wish her a great summer time. You too, folks, join in the celebrations… Cuckoos and cookies, it’s gonna be a bash this Spring !

Megan has a habit, she is careful about selecting the right cookies for her taste buds. But the same can’t be said of her dressing sense. She looks a penguin, I mean more an Antarctican than an American – what with wearing the black and white combination all year long ! But she is an obsessive worker and a die-hard perfectionist. Me and Steve think we should take her out on Administrative Professionals Day® and get her a new wardrobe; and of course, a load of cookie goodies. Sure, she wouldn’t complain ! So chums, get away from your hectic workload and bust the stress. Send cute and warm e-cards from our site to wish your friends, family and loved ones a relaxing and restful day.