Love Actually...

At the start of the movie “Love Actually”, Hugh Grant’s character comments, “Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion is 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”. I think it’s necessary to have a place that automatically lifts your spirits and takes you out of your own thoughts; a place ground oneself.

The world is so fast-paced and relentless these days, that sometimes you just need to escape. For me, this place is on the water. A place where I can sit and be gently rocked while the sun warms me, I breathe in the fresh salty air, listen to the silence and observe the beauty of nature. To be able to escape the hustle and bustle is a rare thing in a big city.

I remember during COVID, we were allowed outside our home within a five-kilometre radius. For us, this meant we could go out on the boat on the Hacking River, as far as Bundeena.  We were ok with that – as long as we could get out on the water and rejuvenate ourselves every Saturday.

Saturday afternoon was also the extended-family ‘teams’ meeting, where all of us would perch in front of the computer screen to say hello and catch up what had been happening, or, for many of us, not happening . There was a family of seven, all cramped together looking bored (I mean, you can only play so many board games in a week), a family of three with a very energetic young boy bouncing off the walls in an inner city unit, as well as a family of six, all suffering being ‘jailed’ together…. And then there was hubby and I... red cheeked from the sun, eyes aglow after a day out on the water where the space, freedom and refreshing air smacked us in the face and brought us back to life after the working (from home) week.  We were chirpy and happy, with stories to tell of big fish caught, the ones that got away…. Looking back, I bet we drove everyone mad.