My Favorite Things
Watching the movie Sound of Music this holiday season has brought to mind the need to remember all the good things that have been presented in our lives this year. Allowing the human spirit to rise above the pain and suffering and listing out the lessons we have learned and the people who have had meaning in our lives will allow us to transition to another year with legitimate closure.
The opening scene of Julie Andrews on a mountaintop taking in all of the surrounding beauty was an inspiring beginning for the movie. Still, it can also be the beginning of our healing from this tumultuous time. Because of the pandemic, we have stayed secluded in our homes for the most part, but we can hear the sounds of nature, see the beauty, and breathe in the fresh air when we venture out.
With the movie introduction of the plot’s characters, we can list out all the people we remember from this year and the meaning they brought to our lives. Sending them a holiday card, or even just a note and expressing how they have impacted our lives, provides merit to this year-end practice. All this writing will take time and effort but can be extremely therapeutic to write a note even to those we grieve.
Revisiting your story’s characters this year can only bring to mind all the events in your life this year. The good and the not so good events will fill your mind with joy and probably some pain. Within it all, though, you survived this year. Not only did you refuse to give up, but you grew emotionally and spiritually. I can make this statement with confidence because, despite many of us who resist, none of us can escape the lessons living life teaches us.
So in the movie, we see a lost soul beginning her journey into the real world. A world filled with love, hate, pain, betrayal, loyalty, defeat, loss, and triumph. These are all descriptive words that might sum up the world of this past year that we are leaving behind. We did prevail through it all.
Finding, revisiting, or discovering our essence this past year is unveiling our real character and purpose in this world. With that, we can be grateful for the people, the events, and the lessons learned throughout the year.
The main character of the movie found true love, a family, and her life through music. In looking over this past year, we have the opportunity to gather all we have learned and put into practice what is fair and just for ourselves and for those we love.
I highly recommend this movie to watch this holiday season and allow yourself to enjoy the delightful, feel-good music and to experience the feelings of your favorite things.
