Some thoughts about love

So Valentine’s day seems a good a day as any to think about love! I’ve actually been thinking more about familial love and the love we show our friends rather than romantic love.

I’ve recently attended (online) a funeral of someone I know through volunteering and someone who has been very supportive of me through my teacher training. Although I knew her fairly well in this context, I didn’t know her background or her family. I felt very moved and privileged to hear her children speak of her. It was also heartwarming to see some of my fellow volunteers on screen in attendance at the crematorium.

It made me think how these last 11 months have really changed the relationships we have with people. For many of us, especially if like me you’ve moved away from your home town for work, our friends can feel as much a part of our family as our family are. And certainly we may see them more often. So after a year of having to arrange to see people either virtually or in small groups rather than bumping into them, or seeing them at the office, we do begin to reflect on our friendships and what they mean to us.

In a way I feel quite lucky that through this lockdown I'm able to bubble with my brother and his family, so I’ve been staying with them at weekends. I have a young niece and nephew and it’s lovely to see the world through their eyes and witness the joy and love they have. It’s definitely lifting my mood at the moment.

Our family and friends are our loved ones and today I celebrate them and all our relationships.