I’ve always felt that Arrivals at the airport is one of the happiest places on Earth and Departures, even though hopeful for new adventures, can be one of the saddest as we bid farewell to friends and family.
Even in movies like Love Actually (click link to see video) we’ve heard Hugh Grant talk about the arrivals and departures at LHR (London Heathrow) and all the love that you see as friends and family arrive.
As a traveller, I’m through departures and arrivals often and I notice the moments being shared. It really does show how much love there is in the world.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen billboards and commercials for a new series on CBC called Hello Goodbye. As a Canadian travel show, of sorts, I was intrigued so I did a little research. And happily, it is what I thought it was, a show that highlights the stories of those coming and going through the airport and the people they are re-connecting with or saying goodbye to.
Years ago, I was lucky enough to be a part of an incredible arrival story. I was not the one arriving, but one of a large group waiting for a very special arrival. Two of my good friends had made the journey to China to adopt their beautiful and amazing daughter.
Our welcoming team was not alone on the other side of the frosted glass doors at the arrivals at YYZ (Pearson Airport in Toronto). There were about 15+ new families who had adopted wonderful little babies that were returning on that same flight. Each of those new families, had loved ones waiting to welcome them and their bundle of joy, like us. And each of those groups of loved ones had their own stories as they waited for those doors to open and meet their newest family member.
We all waited patiently as we could see on the board that the flight had arrived. Each time those doors opened, another group cheered with their welcome signs, flowers and balloons to welcome their family and baby home. We waited and waited, but the newest member of our family was not coming. After everyone else had come through, we were still waiting.
Finally, those doors slide open one more time and there they were with the cutest baby of the bunch, in our opinion. The tears were flowing and the joy was like that of a delivery room as a baby is born. For us, that little girl was born and now part of our family as her parents carried her through those doors at YYZ and we could finally see and hug her with the new proud parents.
This joy and elation can be seen often at the arrivals at any airport around the world. But, like joy, there is also sadness at arrivals as people are welcomed for not the best of reasons and of course there is the sadness, and hopefulness, of departures.
It is all these stories that fill the arrivals and departures at airports around Canada that I hope to see unfold on CBC’s Hello Goodbye.
Starts Friday January 8, 8:30 (9NT).
Tell me, what are some of your stories from arrivals and departures?
© 2016 – 2017, Anne-Marie Marais. All rights reserved.
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