The Timeless News of Homecoming
There is something in Christmas reunions that connects people directly with what is truly important, yet is often lost in the daily hustle and the obligations of the modern world: a hug, a banner, flowers, the promise of seeing loved ones again, and celebrating the memory of those who are gone. It is the ‘Rosebud’ of a species constantly distracted from what makes them human. The people of the Canary Islands know a great deal about farewells and welcomes; eight islands that are ports, which have historically looked beyond the seas to seek a livelihood: a job in Cuba, a life in Venezuela, a future in Madrid, a love in France, work in England to improve language skills before trying their luck down south, a university degree in Granada—but their thoughts always remain on the islands.
First Flights Home
This newspaper wanted to witness these Christmas encounters at Gran Canaria Airport, camera at the ready, to rediscover the oldest news that is always a headline: that people miss each other, love each other, and are moved by reunion. First, a large direct flight from Granada brought first-year students who left home for the first time three months ago—three months which have a knack for stretching and intensifying. They learn to cook, they learn what it is to miss someone, to recognise new night-time noises that aren’t from home, and when they least expect it, they long for a cuddle. That’s why Alejandro brought a poinsettia for his girlfriend, whom he hasn’t seen for a month and a half; in his eyes, you see the purest anxiety and melancholy. He has plans ready to make her happy. There are also lilies for another fortunate Canarian woman arriving from Granada.
Embraces, Plans, and a Very Sophisticated Greeter
Alberto waits for his girlfriend alongside his brother-in-law; the plans he has with her are not authorised for the press. The reunion of Ventura, a pharmacy worker in Seville, with his parents at Gran Canaria Airport caught our attention due to the sparkle of their Christmas hats and because they hugged as many times as our photographer asked—they may still be embracing now. Bella waits impatiently, wagging her tail. She is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the most sophisticated creature in the canine world, and so ‘Bella’ she is that she has her own Instagram account. She waits with one of her owners for another human companion arriving from Madrid.
“The Best Journey is the One Back Home”
The bulk of the attention from those waiting was captured by Andrea’s family. Her mother Yaiza’s eyes fill with tears as she explains to this newspaper that she is waiting for her little girl, and in that moment, she herself becomes a little girl waiting at Christmas. She feels lost without her. Her father, grandparents, and siblings all came to welcome her with a sign that reads: “There is no better journey than the one back home.” Leaving the domestic arrivals behind, we see a mother inspecting the new streaks in her student son’s hair—they are red, like his intentions. The mother looks at him, feigning a mix of joy and bewilderment.
Celebrating the Here and Now
Now comes the time to stretch out the hours and contend with past struggles and absences, to celebrate life—not just that of a child born 2000 years ago where others die today, but the fact that we are here reading this, immortalising what we take for granted, which is the only thing that makes us human.
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