I sit here in Bristol. Christmas has come and gone, like the whirlwind that it seems to be these days.
Oddly I bumped into some old school friends yesterday, and the memories of those Christmases as a school boy came flooding back. The traditions and times have certainly changed. These days Christmas is planned around work and where we can or cannot be. A far cry from the days where you would have a 24-day countdown chart on your bedroom wall.
This was my first Christmas home for two years. No matter where I am in the world, I always make this the first destination choice at this time of year. Christmas is a particular time, regardless of how old or busy we are, it’s that one time where we should all make the conscious effort to be with family and friends.
Of course, there are those relatives that you need to grin and smile at even though if you were related you would have nothing in common with as a stranger. But it’s time that I feel we take for granted.
Growing up in a small suburb of Bristol, Christmas was always that time of year that you looked forward to. Present planning, parties and having fun was always the highlight of the year for me. Seeing who would have the lights up first, seeing that first Christmas advert for the plethora of toys that we could never have, even those old Ronco Record collections were a highlight.
Times have changed for sure.
Nobody sings Christmas carols around houses; tinsel has been replaced by UV lights and overall Christmas has become more about those you spend it with instead of what you wanted.
As the years have gone by I have witnessed Christmas through the eyes of my nieces, believing that Father Christmas came, and then seeing them become adults, mothers and then witnessing it all again through their daughter’s eyes.
As we grow older, we lose people we love. As we age, those important factors in life seem more trivial through time.
I’m lucky to live a healthy life. I have a lovely apartment in Sweden, have a beautiful partner who I see the world with and a great set of friends. Above all, I keep coming back to this one place each and every Christmas. The place that I could not wait to leave, the town that I will always call home no matter where I live or think I am from.
This small town gave me the foundations of life. This little house that my parents still live in will be the home that has many memories and lifetime events ahead of me, both happy and sad. This is MY home, the place where I first entered as a four-year-old child and will nob doubt leave as an elderly pensioner one day.
Family and friends leave us each and every year, but the place that matters most is home. I’m the first to admit that I do not visit as often as I should. Twice in the past 18 months is simply not enough.
I love my friends, and I love my family.
2017 will be an immense year of change. No matter what happens, there is no place like home.
