For me, holidays have always been about people more than anything else. I grew up in a large family—five children, 14 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren. My parents were the node, the centre, and everything radiated outward from them. At Christmas or for big birthdays, 25, 30, sometimes 35 of us would gather under one roof.
But life changes. People move for work or study, settle down and raise families of their own. Now we’re scattered all over the world—two living in the USA, two in Western Australia, one in rural NSW, one skiing for much of the year in Europe, another recently returned from playing professional sport in the UK. Gathering everyone together has become complicated, sometimes impossible.
This year marks a turning point. My parents can no longer live together in the family home of 60 years after illness and injury. That house, and the way it anchored us, is passing into memory. What comes next will be different. Instead of one central node, there may be several, each forging their own way forward.
So how will we celebrate holidays? That is a good question. We may not always gather under one roof, but we find other ways to connect—calls, photos, shared messages, smaller gatherings in different places. The bonds remain. They won’t be worse, just different.
Holidays, after all, are about the people, and that doesn’t change.
The Afterword 
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