It’s a Wonderful Life

Yes, I know it’s June.
Yes, I know you’re all shaking your heads and wondering if I’m having a nutty.

But I’ve had this movie in my laptop DVD player since Tuesday night.
And I’ve been watching it.
And I love it.

This has become my favorite Christmas movie. The Christmas movie. The one I have to watch each year. Sure, I have my Top Ten. Those movies that I bring out the Day After Thanksgiving and watch at some point within the next 30 days.

But It’s a Wonderful Life is the one that I watch. I mean, really watch. The one where I make phone calls to tell my family “Don’t call me.” The one where the snack food is on the coffee table and the holiday drink of choice is in the chilled glass. There are no interruptions when I’m watching this movie.

Even Dot knows not to distract me in any manner whatsoever.

Have I said, this is my favorite movie? Because it is.

It’s the well-known original story of a down-on-his-luck man whose life didn’t go at all the way he planned. Filled with anger and regrets, an angel greets him in an effort to prevent his suicide. What follows is the other side of the “What If” coin. George Bailey is consumed with the “What If’s” and “Why Not’s” that he thinks would have made his life better. Angel Clarence shows him the “What If’s”, if George had never been born.

George is filled with a renewing sense of purpose, of gratitude and thanksgiving. His life hasn’t changed. But his perspective has.

And he comes to realize what so many of us fail to grasp:

It’s a Wonderful Life.

As one of my friends says, you can stay on the pity pot or you can share your sunshine.

I could never understand how people are so much nicer and more patient and compassionate from November through January, and the rest of the year go back to acting as if others don’t matter.

If we can find that “Christmas Spirit” then, why not now? Why should it be a shock to be filled with hope in June?

I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately and not liking it. I’ve been feeling like I’m at the end of the proverbial rope. Worst of all, I’d been feeling almost like there’s not much hope.

I hate that feeling!

I dug through the Christmas media and found my movie. And I’ve been watching it every night since.

It’s interesting how you can watch the same thing over and over and then suddenly, realize something new about it. I’ve been so entranced with watching the movie, paying attention to it. Every night I’m catching new glimmers that I’d not noticed before: dialogue, camera angles, scenery. Every ounce of this movie is coming to life for me in a way I’d not experienced before. Not only is the message coming across loud and clear, but it’s reigniting my creative passions.

The writer in me constantly evaluates every word, every action. The person in me finds hope in every scene.

Hope.

From a movie script.

Inspiration.

From a story.

Sure. My situation hasn’t changed since yesterday. But in some ways, that’s okay. Because while things aren’t getting better, they also aren’t getting any worse. And there’s something to be said for that kind of stability. The kind where you know you’re home with family and eating together each day. The kind where creativity overcomes the consumer.

The kind of stability that gives you a comfy bed to rest in and a DVD to watch each night.

Things haven’t gotten any better.
But they haven’t gotten any worse.

It’s a Wonderful Life.

I’ve been watching it every night.

And I’ve been waking up every morning. Ready to face whatever the day brings.

And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!