Mothers, Movies and Much More

So many great things start with “M.”  I love this letter.  With anything good, I always want more. More money, more dessert, more recognition, more, more, more. I’m grateful to have enough most of the time and more than enough others.

I think I’ll start today’s post with a shout out to Mothers. I mean, we owe our very existence to them, right?  They feed and nurture us and I’m awed by the power of Mama bears to just get it done. I’m not disparaging the role of fathers. They, too, are important but these Mamas are bringing home the bacon, frying it up in a pan, juggling carpool and homework and carefully monitoring the emotional well-being of their offspring. It’s a full-time job plus some.  My Mother is a classic version who can engage on huge social issues like housing, lead any number of church groups, raise four kids, fix a toilet and upholster a chair right before your eyes.  Like I said, I’m awed.   And grateful for them. They keep the planet spinning. 

On a lower but equally profound note, I think this is a good time to mention my love affair with movies.  I love the Movies (and TV, though that doesn’t start with “M”).  I love going to the movies or watching them at home.  I have favorites that I’ve seen no fewer than 50 times. Seriously.  Movies like the original Star Wars and Top Gun played weekly at my house growing up.  And some movies, I just never tire of.

Since then, I’ve added to my list of favorites.  I can still remember the moment I had to part with my VHS tapes because my player broke. By that time, I had replicated most of my favs on DVD, but not all of them. Some I had to let go of like Baby Boom (Diane Kenton–love it!) and About Last Night (The brat pack rules!).  The same thing happened as my collection moved to digital. Some favorites just don’t warrant the re-purchase, but they still have a place in my heart (Wedding Crashers, Ever After, Pretty Woman).

I’d love to hear from readers what your favorite movies are. I’m always adding to my list. My two all-time favorites remain unchanged: Shawshank Redemption, an absolute classic, and the Princess Bride, so many great one-liners.  I have embraced some more recent movies like Brooklyn, the Martian, and just last weekend I laughed my ass off at Why Him?  Maybe it was the references to the absurdity of wealthy in Silicon Valley, but it’s worth a watch.

Tell me what’s pulled on your heartstrings or ticketed your funny bone lately.