MUDDLE THROUGH SOMEHOW

MY FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME IS "THE FAMILY STONE."

I WATCH IT MULTIPLE TIMES EACH MONTH, AND ALTHOUGH IT IS MEANT TO BE A CHRISTMAS-CELEBRATING FILM, I NEVER RESERVE IT FOR THIS TIME OF YEARLY ONLY. I CAN'T ADEQUATELY EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS ABOUT THIS MOVIE THAT DRAWS ME IN THE WAY IT DOES. TO BE HONEST, I DIDN'T EVEN LIKE THIS MOVIE THE FIRST TIME I SAW IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS OBSCURE, I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE POINT OR PLOT OF IT HAD BEEN, AND THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENTS WITH SARAH JESSICA PARKER WAS ENOUGH TO DRIVE ANYONE CRAZY...

OR SO I THOUGHT.

MY LOVE FOR THIS MOVIE HAS EVOLVED AND I FIND GREAT COMFORT AND SOLACE WHENEVER I TURN THIS MOVIE ON AT HOME. I CLEAN TO IT, COOK TO IT, DO LAUNDRY TO IT, AND ALWAYS RECITE OUTLOUD EACH LINE RIGHT ON CUE WITH THE CHARACTERS.

THE CAST IS CAPTIVATING. WITH NAMES LIKE DIANNE KEATON, RACHEL MCADAMS, LUKE WILSON, CLAIRE DANES, CRAIG T. NELSON, AND DERMOT MULRONEY, IT SEEMED SURE TO BE A HIT. BUT IN SPITE OF THE FANTASTICALLY STOCKED TROUPE OF ACTORS, WHAT GETS ME IS THE STORY. WHAT GETS ME IS THE ACCURATE MESS OF PERSONALITIES THAT THEY ARE. WHAT GETS ME IS THE PROTECTIVENESS THEY HAVE FOR EACH OTHER. WHAT GETS ME IS THAT IT'S A MOVIE COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY ABOUT FAMILY.
IF YOU OWN THE MOVIE, YOU CAN WATCH THE SPECIAL FEATURES SEGMENT AND SEE THE CHARACTERS AND DIRECTOR INTERVIEWED. YOU CAN LISTEN TO THEM EXPLAIN HOW FILMING THIS MOVIE WAS DIFFERENT THAN FILMING ANY OTHER BECAUSE OF THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF TIME THEY SPENT TOGETHER. WHEN THEY WEREN'T SHOOTING, IT WASN'T TIME OFF. THEY WENT TO LUNCH TOGETHER AND GOT COFFEE TOGETHER. THEY EVEN PLAYED GAMES THAT BY THE END HAD THEM BUSTING A GUT- JUST LIKE A REAL FAMILY.

DIANNE KEATON IS THE MOTHER OF THE STONE FAMILY AND ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE MOVIE ON CHRISTMAS EVE, WHEN ALL SEEMS TO BE GOING WRONG, THE KIDS FIND OUT THAT SHE IS DYING. AT THIS POINT, THE DAUGHTER SUZANNE IS STAYING UP LATE WATCHING "MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS" WAITING FOR HER HUSBAND'S FLIGHT TO GET IN, WHILE HER SISTER LIES ASLEEP ON THE COUCH NEXT TO HER. SUZANNE'S DAD COMES IN THE ROOM AND ASKS SUZANNE IF SHE'S GOING TO GO TO BED, "ARE YOU KIDDING? THIS IS THE BEST PART." -AND IRONICALLY, THIS IS THE BEST OF THE MOVIE. BECAUSE JUST THEN, JUDY GARLAND IN THE BACKGROUND BEGINS TO SING, "HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS." ALTHOUGH THIS IS MEANT TO BE A HAPPY SONG, IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS MOVIE, IT CREATES A WORLD OF EMOTION AS SHE SINGS WORDS LIKE,
"FROM NOW ON OUR TROUBLES WILL BE MILES AWAY"
"THROUGH THE YEARS WE ALL WILL BE TOGETHER IF THE FATES ALLOW"
AND MY FAVORITE PART IN THIS VERSION OF THE SONG...
"UNTIL THEN WE'LL HAVE TO MUDDLE THROUGH SOMEHOW."
AT THIS POINT IN THE MOVIE EMOTIONS ARE RUNNING HIGH FOR ME. THE MUSIC IS EXQUISITE- MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG OF ALL TIME. AND THE OVERWHELMING THOUGHT OF WHAT THIS FAMILY IS GOING THROUGH IS PROFOUND.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A FAMILY. TO LOVE AND CARE FOR SIBLINGS AND PARENTS SO MUCH THAT IT HURTS AT TIMES.
THIS THANKSGIVING I WAS ABLE TO BE WITH MY ENTIRE FAMILY- KATIE AND JASON FROM TEXAS AND SOON TO BE CANADA, DONNY AND EM FROM MINNESOTA, AND JESS AND DUST FROM FLORIDA. I CLUNG HARD TO THOSE SIX DAYS OF TOGETHERNESS KNOWING FULL WELL THEY WON'T COME OFTEN ANYMORE. BUT UNTIL THEN, WE'LL MUDDLE THROUGH SOMEHOW.
HERE'S A POST THAT'S ALL ABOUT THE JOY OF HAVING A FAMILY, OF BEING A FAMILY, AND OF NAVIGATING ALL OF THE COMPLEXITIES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT.

SO HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS... NOW.