Ask
anyone what movie they most associate with the holidays, and many will say the
1947 classic It’s a Wonderful Life. I know the calendar has now turned to
January, but I was just sent a copy of 52
Little Lessons from It’s a Wonderful Life by Bob Welch. Just like the treasured film it’s inspired
by, this hardcover book is a treasure in and of itself.
As
we begin another new year, resolutions will most likely have been made. If you’re like me, you make them and then
break them within a few weeks (days?). For this reason, Welch’s book is just perfect for this time of year. He takes 52 things
he’s learned from George and Mary Bailey, Clarence the Angel, and yes, even the
evil Mr. Potter, and relates them in simple ways to our everyday lives.
To me, Christmas
Eve isn’t complete without getting home in time to see George at the
bridge finally wanting to live again. One of the
most important things I realized from Welch’s book is that absolutely nothing
has changed at this point in terms of George’s problems. He
still lost $8,000, he was still probably going to jail, the Building and Loan was
probably going to close, and the staircase in his “drafty old house" was still
broken. The changes were all inside his heart…enough to run through Bedford Falls yelling “Merry Christmas”…yes, even
to Mr. Potter.
MY
RATING - 5
