Joy

We have been playing Secret Santa in office since yesterday. On the whole, we have been a team that has stood by each other very firmly for all of last year, but what I am witnessing right now is affection at a completely different level. Even though Christmas has passed, we decided to play Secret Santa as during Christmas week we were busy decorating our bays. In decorating our bays as well, we have worked in solidarity and high spirits.

With Secret Santa, it’s been two days of tugging at heart strings and lighting up each others’ faces with smiles. We work as stealthily as thieves stealing some happiness from under our Christmas trees and handing them to our recipients. The full team helps in checking if your recipient is away and then smoothly pulling off how and where the gift should be placed. When the perched gift is seen by the recipient, the person announces everyone to come and see what s/he’s got. If it’s chocolates we have a bite of it each, distributing the sweetness all around. If it is something much more personalized, we beam at the gift and see the recipient’s wide smile,  and then wink at the Santa giving him/her a thumbs up (we know who gave it to him). This happens all throughout the day. Giggles, laughs, sweet schemes, silently slipping in gifts, a celebrated opening of gifts and an encore!

In just two days I’ve seen how thoughtful people can be. Gifts range from an earring, bindi packet, squeaking toy, handmade pen stand, glass paints, Hot Wheels toy, fruit juice, Bournvita, a huge box of bananas, a mug as big as a flower pot, an hour glass (of the most awesome kind), flowers, packets of chips, a coin-purse, personalized keychain, paper quilling kit, many many chocolates, and so much more that I can’t even keep count. The warmheartedness in each gift and the many, many smiles it brings just fills each hour with warmth in this chill. People coming from all over to see one’s exploits of the day  and marveling at who could it be. It brings plain, unadulterated joy!

I have seen that it’s not the size or worth of a gift that matters. Walking up to

your desk to see paper glittering and saying “To XYZ, From Secret Santa” just incites the widest smile one can muster; and it comes straight from the heart. What’s more value adding is that everyone joins in to celebrate your joy.

They’re right when they say, shared joy is double joy. And in this case, we are 16 people. 16 times. There is really joy in the air!

Merry Christmas everyone! X  16

– Sameen