Love Actually IS All Around

“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling love actually is all around.”

When I think of Christmas, I immediately think of my family. I think of the pure childhood delight of discovering that Father Christmas had visited and eating far too much chocolate. I think of not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve, filled with anticipation for what was to come. Like all families, we have our traditions which mean so much to me. My family eat the same breakfast each year: cranberry and orange muffins, a Nigella Lawson recipe which we only ever make on Christmas Day. The smell and taste of these take me back to being ten years old and will forever hold deep nostalgia for me.

It’s in these little moments – memories that may not feel grand or particularly important at first glance – that we find emotions we can’t quite express. It’s one of the few times of year it’s deemed acceptable to start drinking at eleven o’clock, which often leads to peals of laughter echoing through the house and rosy red cheeks. There’s always the Christmas politics, where someone insists you must at least eat one sprout, and the air carries that slightly smoky scent from crackers being pulled excitedly by younger family members. There is something notably chaotic about this time of year, but something deeply nostalgic too, that no matter how hard you may try, it seems rather impossible to shake.

Our Christmases as a family are changing. I am the oldest grandchild, sibling and cousin, but I’m no longer the tallest, as I’m now towered over by them all. My younger brother is the one who drives us, not my parents. I no longer sit at the children’s table at my Nanny’s New Year’s Day party – there isn’t really a children’s table anymore. The cousins can now legally go for a drink together and are in the process of making formative life decisions. Our relationships are changing, and we’re forming adult friendships – a far cry from the Easter egg hunts and childhood birthday parties of our younger years.

However, we are not the only family members getting older. My sweet Nanny, who is Christmas personified to me and means so much to us all, is also ageing. The harsh reality of this is painful but inevitable, and this time of year reminds me how important it is to make time for those you love and appreciate who is around you. I feel a whole host of emotions when I think of Christmas, but most of all I’m overcome with love for the life I live and the people in it.

I’ve been lucky enough to win the geographical lottery: I am able to receive a stellar education, I do not live in poverty and my family can celebrate without fear of attack. However, this is not the case for many. We live in a world still divided by hate and discrimination. Families continue to be torn apart as a result of genocides and racism which chillingly still occur. In your celebrations filled with love and cheer, perhaps take a moment to remember what is happening to others – to step outside the window and see the other side. Remember to appreciate the love you give and the love you receive from those around you.

Christmas is never perfect. Family is messy, people get ill and things don’t always go to plan – but within it all there is one common denominator: love. Love really is all around, sometimes hiding in plain sight. There is joy and excitement in the mundane, and quiet moments in the chaos that make us realise just how much love we hold inside us. However and with whoever you celebrate this special time of year, I hope you do so with love and happiness.

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