My tradition is watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I never intended to make this a New Year's Day tradition, it actually happened by accident. The movie was originally released on Christmas Day 2008, and I saw it for the first time in the theater on New Year's Day of 2009. Needless to say, I really enjoyed it. The next year my cousin was in town on New Year's Day 2010 and we decided to rent a movie. She had not yet seen Benjamin Button, and I loved it, so we decided to rent it. Unfortunately in the short run, but fortunately in the long run, Blockbuster (remember that place) was out of rent-able copies, so I bought the movie. At the end of the movie I realized it was the second New Years Day in a row I was watching it, and so, a tradition was born.
The viewing this year was extra special because our daughters watched the movie with me. I've found that one of the greatest pleasures in life is sharing something you love with someone you love. But, when the someone you share it with is a person you are partially responsible for creating, well, then the feeling is near bliss.
Though there are many reasons I enjoy The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the main reason is that by the time the credits roll up at the end, I feel like I have a solid handle on the concept of life. The stories told throughout the film support four major points that unite us all and define the human condition.
1. We're all going the same way. Simply put; we are born, time passes, and we die. No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what you choose, you will end up the same way as everyone else who has ever lived. The only differences lie in the questions of "when" and "how."
2. Nothing lasts. Life is a period of existence based on evolution. Our lives will certainly end. Change is inevitable. Our experiences will modify our thoughts and feelings. Our abilities will wax and wane like the moon. Being grateful for this moment now is the key to happiness.
3. You never know what's coming for you. This is the wild card. The mystery of life. The fate, the destiny. The triumph and tragedy. The energy of the universe. Despite any and every effort we make, unknown circumstances are waiting around the bend. We must surrender to that which we cannot control.
4. In the end you have to let go. To quote the movie, "You can be as mad as a mad dog at the way things went. You could swear, curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go." So I ask: Since we have to let go of everything in the end anyway, why not make sure we're not holding on to too much while we're here?
These four points are easier said than remembered, and easier remembered than lived. But it is with these points fresh in my mind once more that I set out into 2015 with a renewed perspective and personal mission. This year I do not seek to be happier or healthier, to be smarter or stronger, to be braver or better. This year my goal is simply to be. Breathing my breath, embracing my activity, and appreciating my abundance as I approach
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