Where Love Lives
- Chris Hunter
- Nov 7, 2025
- 4 min read
Every year, the John Lewis Christmas advert seems to stir something deep - but this year’s one really got me. Not just because of the music (Alison Limerick’s “Where Love Lives” - a proper classic that took me straight back to my days ON the dance floor and not just behind the decks), but because of what it represented.
As soon as the dad unwraps the vinyl, I was right there with him - flashing lights, laughter, the beat pulsing through my chest, that sense of being totally alive.
It reminded me how music can pull us straight back to a moment in time, not just to a memory but to a version of ourselves we might have forgotten.
When the Music Reminds You Who You Are
Watching him dance - free, unfiltered, and lost in the moment - I saw more than nostalgia.
It was a man reconnecting with the part of himself that still exists beneath the layers of work, worry, and responsibility.
I think so many of us lose touch with that version of ourselves - the one who laughed louder, loved harder, and didn’t second guess or overthink everything.
That part never really leaves; it just waits to be remembered.
Sometimes, healing starts with movement - letting the body remember what the mind has forgotten.
The Glance Across the Dancefloor.
The moment that stopped me. The dad catches sight of his son across the dancefloor - first as the young man he is now, then as a child, then as a baby.
That hit deep.
Because that’s how life feels sometimes - one minute you’re watching your child take their first steps, and the next they’re taller than you, off living their own life. All that time passes in a flash.
The line from the advert said:
“We don’t always know how to say how we feel. Not out loud. Not properly. But then comes Christmas and something in us wants to try.” That one sentence captures so much about love - especially for men.
We don’t always have the words. Sometimes we freeze or fumble. But that doesn’t mean we don’t feel deeply. It just means we show it differently.
This advert made me think about The Five Love Languages - how we each give and receive love in different ways:
Words of Affirmation – saying “I love you” or “I’m proud of you.”
Acts of Service – doing something thoughtful to make life easier for someone.
Receiving Gifts – the gesture, not the price tag.
Quality Time – being fully present with someone, no distractions.
Physical Touch – the power of a hug or a reassuring hand.
The line “If you can’t find the words, find the gift” hits right at the heart of this.
That record wasn’t just a present - it was a love language. The son saying, “I see you, Dad. I know who you are. And I want to reconnect.”
And in return, the dad’s dance - that moment of recognition and emotion - was his way of saying, “I feel it too.”
We often assume love has to sound like words, but it doesn’t.
Sometimes love is a song.
Sometimes it’s time spent.
Sometimes it’s the quiet, unspoken things that matter most.
The Blink of an Eye
That sequence where the son ages backwards - from man to boy to baby - broke me. Because it’s true. Life moves so fast.
As a dad myself, I’ve felt that ache of time slipping by.
The realisation that you can’t slow it down - but you can choose to be more present.
To listen.
To reach out.
To notice.
Love lives in the small moments we so often rush past.
Words don't always come easy.
There’s also a deeper message here about male loneliness and emotional distance.
You can see it in both father and son - each wanting connection, but neither knowing how to start.
I’ve been that man and in more recent times I have learned to show emotion and communicate better.
Wanting to say the right thing but feeling the lump in your throat instead.
Trying to show you care, even when words won’t come.
That’s why this advert hit so hard for me.
Because it’s not just about gifts - it’s about how we communicate love in a world where so many people are quietly lonely.
And maybe that’s the real message this year:
Love doesn’t always need to be said perfectly. It just needs to be shown.
This advert, for me, isn’t about selling products or nostalgia for the sake of it. It’s about remembering that the greatest gift we can ever give someone is our presence.
To be there.
To really see them.
To love them in the way they understand - even if that means learning their language instead of speaking ours.
It’s a reminder that love isn’t lost - it’s just waiting to be noticed again.
“Where love lives, healing begins.”
If you’ve read this far, take a quiet moment for yourself.
What song takes you back to your carefree, younger self?
What love language do you naturally give - and which one do you long to receive?
Who could you reach out to today, in whatever language love speaks through you?
If this resonates and you ever want to chat, hit me up.
10/10 to the team behind this and shout to Alison Limerick DEF MIX David Morales and of course Frankie Knuckles RIP. Watch the ad here:
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