Every year we share Christmas TV ads, sometimes we order them by how much we adore them, but this year we made a full stop at Where One Lives from John Lewis & Partners, a British department store chain established in 1864.
Parents spend so many years talking; talking our kids through first steps, first days of school, first heartbreaks… And then one day, somewhere between middle school and grown-up, we find ourselves at a loss. The feelings come easily, but words don’t, not anymore, not for us or for them.
The stakes are so much higher as our kids get older
It’s not that the love changes. It’s that suddenly the stakes feel so much higher. Our kids become teens and young adults with their own lives, their own opinions, and their own chilly distance. They pull away in the way they’re supposed to, and we are left bewildered and aching, trying to figure out how to connect without smothering them. We reach out only to be slapped away and the rejection stings.
Even when the relationship is strong, sometimes the words we wish we could say land somewhere between our heart and our throat and never quite make it out. I miss you. I’m proud of you. I’m sorry. I see you. I love you in ways bigger than either of us. I want to connect but I’m not sure how.
Where John Lewis & Partners created holiday magic
This is where, hopefully, the holidays work their quiet magic.
There’s something about the lights, the rituals, the annual remembering of who we are to each other, that nudges us to try again and to give voice to the things we’ve struggled to articulate all year long. And when we can’t find the words, we hope that the right gift can do the talking.
That’s the heart of the John Lewis story this year, the story of a dad and son who’ve drifted into that liminal, silent space between parents and teens. No one’s angry, no one’s wrong, but somehow we just can’t bridge the chasm that has opened between us.
But then comes a gift. A vinyl record, simple and nostalgic. Something concrete that says, I’m thinking of you. Maybe this will connect us. Pressed onto classic 12” black vinyl, Alison Limerick’s 1990s dance anthem “Where Love Lives” becomes more than music in this year’s ad. It becomes a message.
Side A includes the original version, beloved by generations and still pulsing with the energy of crowded dance floors and shared joy. Side B is a new reimagining by Labrinth, unmistakably modern and current. Two versions connecting past and present, father and son.
And in a world where gifts so often feel rushed, disposable, or obligatory, this one has intention and meaning. A chance to communicate, Here. This is our story. This is where our love lives.This is something we can share.
As parents of teens and young adults, we know that relationships change. They stretch and strain. They grow. But real love always finds a way. And when the words won’t come? Sometimes the right gift speaks.
More Great Reading
Christmas Gift Guide for College Guys and Young Adult Men (2025)
100+ Best Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Teens and College Students (2025)
Christmas Gift Guide for Young Adult Women in College, Careers (2025)
