This year 七夕节 Qixi falls on 14 August (Saturday). What makes this year’s Qi Xi extra special is that the story of Qi Xi Festival, 牛郎织女 (the cowherd and the weaver girl) resonates strongly with what we are going through this year. 织女 is a girl who came from the heavens and fell in a forbidden love with 牛郎 on Earth. The emperor of Heaven was angry when he found out about it and separated the two and only allowed them to meet once a year. Their love story touched the birds 喜鹊 (magpies). The magpies form a bridge between heaven and Earth for 牛郎 and 织女 to meet every year. This year’s Qi Xi, we are once again separated and not allowed to meet due to the lockdown restrictions, but distance is what makes the hearts grow fonder. As we look forward to the next time we meet again, why not send surprise flowers to our loved ones?