One Christmas movie stands out as a classic of all time and its message is in many ways … Jewish.
It's a Wonderful Life, the brainchild of Frank Capra, the granddaddy of feel good movies, is a holiday tradition in and of itself.
For those who have yet to see it, the premise is very simple; a man dreams of doing great things and changing the world and ends up spending his life in the same small town, working in the same small office, struggling with what he deems an unremarkable life haunted by his unrealized aspirations.
The movie's arch villain, Mr. Potter (no relation to Harry) surreptitiously pilfers his funds and so in a moment of despair and hopelessness he is about to put an end to his life. And then, the miracle happens, an angel appears and shows him what the world would have been like had he never been born. Well, it's a mess. Many are miserable, dozens are dead and everyone's worse off. Having witnessed how much he means to the town, and what a truly wonderful life he has had, he asks for a second chance and gets it. He goes home, to yet another miracle, all the town's people contributing money to get him out of trouble because after all, they owe everything to him. Excuse me while I get a tissue. I've seen this movie at least 25 times and I can't watch it without crying, no, sobbing.
The message, in case we've missed it, is transmitted by the angel who says, "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"
No one can see this movie without wishing that they too had such an impact on the people around them but the happy ending is they do. None of us can see the ramifications of our actions. Like the proverbial stone skipped in a lake, each action we do, each word we say, creates ripples upon and deep beneath the surface of the lives of the people we touch extending far beyond what we can see or imagine.
When all is said and done, it's possible that we may have accomplished more than we ever dreamed possible by doing the best we could in the circumstances we were given. The heroes of the world are not necessarily the rich and famous, the accomplished and "successful".
The heroes of the world are the average people who live their often humdrum lives doing the best they can each with his shining moments. Actually, ironically, if George Bailey, the movie's hero would have gone on to do all that he had dreamed, the town's residents would have been worse off and he wouldn't have accomplished nearly as much.
The wonderful truth about the movie's message is that yes, many of us don't realize our most heartfelt hopes and dreams and life does throw us many curveballs but often it is exactly because of that that we realize our greatest potential and do the most good. Each one of us does a plethora of things that make the world better in a way that only he or she can.
While most of us don't have a guardian angel who comes down to earth when we're in crisis to show us that we really do have a wonderful life, we do have hints here and there. But the appreciation and recognition we get a glimpse of is only a tip of the iceberg. Knowing that is the key to appreciating all we are and all we have done.
I have always wanted to be George Bailey.
Well, I got my wish in part. I struggle with debt and I rarely get to work at what I want, I have a faucet that always comes off in my hand and I have always wanted to visit the Amazon jungle though I doubt I'll get there. But perhaps, I've touched the world in ways I'm not aware of. Perhaps we all have.
When things are hopeless, when we think we can't go on and what does it all mean anyway, we need to remember that G-d runs the world in a way that puts us where we need to be and gives us the situations we need in which to reach our greatest potential and do the most good. And if we only had the same perspective as He does, we'd see that things are working in the best way possible for everyone concerned. We just have to have faith and do the best we can because that's all we can ever dream of doing.
Have a bright and happy Chanukah — and a wonderful life!
