Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Life Lessons from The Help and Kung Fu Panda

True confessions, Gentle Reader.  I've had some weird weeks within the last few months.  I finished my Gratitudes in November, though I slacked posting them on my blog (sorry!), and then I was felled with a bad back, horrible chest cold, even worse back issues, horrific withdrawal side effects from my back pain meds, and finally strep, compounded by a bit of depression (if I'm honest about the whole thing).  I won't go into it beyond that, but suffice to say, it's been, at times, definitely challenging.  But sweet reminders of the joys of life came from some of the some of the oddest sources, but they hit home at just the right times.

One was from Kung Fu Panda (I know...of all places!!!!).  I've seen this show before, but the girls hadn't, so we watched it after they got out of school for Christmas Break, and I was amazed at how weepy I got watching Po learn about the fact that there is NO Secret Ingredient.  HE was the secret ingredient.  We all are our own secret ingredient (hmmmm...so, I guess, we are our own Dragon Masters???).

Then, for Christmas, Super J gave me The Help on dvd.  I had so wanted to see it in the actual theaters, but it just didn't happen.  You know how that goes, I'm sure.  Same with Arthur Christmas.  Oh well.

ANYWAY!!!!  I really enjoyed it, sap that I am (sniff, sniff...that ending.  Love it and made me cry when I read the book.  Then, of course, it made me cry when I saw it).  The book was awesome and this was a lovely adaptation of it (so naturally I'll be reading the book over again soon, I'm sure).  More importantly, though, I loved that the overall theme for all the main characters (Aibileen, Minnie and Skeeter) of the movie/book really did exist in the three sentences that Aibileen shares with Mae Mobley over and over:  "You is smart.  You is kind.  You is important."

Gentle Reader, I hope in the new year that I remember these for myself and my daughters. But I also hope you remember it for yourself when you have weird depressing days.

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