Love it or hate it, you're probably familiar with that famous scene at the beginning of Love Actually with Hugh Grant's dulcet tones voicing over a scene of Heathrow airport's busy arrivals gate.
"Whenever I get gloomy about 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.'
It occurred to me recently that I have, what I'm going to call a 'love actually' moment more often than most.
Never more so than at Christmas. Around the middle of November, I always notice there's one product that becomes my best seller. Without fail, there's one message that people want to send to each other at this time of year. In a season where we're focusing on togetherness, we naturally miss those we can't see.
I wish you lived next door is a simple concept for all of us. There are those people in our lives who, whether they live just out of reach to see regularly or are at the other end of the country or other side of the world, we crave just being able to pop 'next door' for a catch-up or a cuppa or even just to see their faces and check they're ok.
This was brought screaming to the forefront during the pandemic when the choice of being able to see those we enjoy spending our time with was taken away from us, and we craved the simplest of friendly exchanges. Since those days of limited contact, I've seen a consistent increase in people wanting to reach out to those they can't always see.
Of course, we have phones and social media and video calls, but those things are easily sidelined when life is busy. With so many demands on our time, it's easy for weeks and months to pass without meaningful contact. If only they lived just next door.
The real 'love actually' element of the orders for 'I wish you lived next door' are the gift messages accompanying them. Those are the key to realising that the world is full of love and kindness. When someone takes the time to search out a gift and write a little personal message that they know will make someone's day, that's the best evidence I've found that humanity is alive and well.
When we can't be together, a small gift to let someone know that you're thinking of them, even when you can't see or speak to each other often, means the world. I see it every time one of these keepsake orders comes in.
Now more than ever, it's time to show that Love actually is all around.
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