Tuesday, January 8, 2013

52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life (Bob Welch)


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