Touch Someone

You will get a new appreciation for life and the impact you’ve made if you’ve ever had the opportunity to see the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. I never thought of watching the movie until I heard that it was one of the all-time movie classics. During the 2009 Christmas season, I was not only able to get my own copy of the movie, I was also able to watch it for a second time. I am sure that if I didn’t hear about the movie I would never have seen it since it is in black and white and not in the preferred Technicolor. It was, of course the right time to see the move since it is also considered to be a Christmas classic. As the story goes, George always rescued, saved and helped others—when he was still a little boy, he rescued his younger brother, Harry from drowning and he saved his employer, a Pharmacist from making a dispensing error. The trend continued as he got older—when his father died, he made the choice to stay around instead of pursuing his dream of going on a vacation and then attending college away from home. George took over his father’s building and loan business and protected members of his community from a greedy businessman. One year around Christmas, his business got into financial trouble and he was at his wit’s end to find a solution. He began to regret even being born. George was about to commit suicide when his guardian angel, Clarence who was sent from Heaven to get his wings by helping George, intervened. Clarence granted George’s wish by making him realize how different life would have been if he were not born: His younger brother, Harry would not have been able to be honored for his achievements as a pilot in the war because he would have drowned at an early age if George had not rescued him. The Pharmacist George saved would have ended up in jail because George would not have been there to point out his dispensing error, and the greedy businessman would have turned the community into a slum. After George was able to see the impact he had made, and how he had touched others, he began to appreciate everything more. He even appreciated his old, drafty house. He realized that despite his problems, it was a wonderful life. As you go about your daily life, think about the impact you’ve made. We have all touched someone else in some way, sometimes without even realizing it. Think about all of the things you do on a daily basis, or all of the things in life that you have helped to make possible. Just think about this: If I was not aware of the movie, I would not have made an attempt to see it, and I would not have been telling you about it. Think about who you can touch today, appreciate life, and celebrate it.