One of our favorite movies is a British comedy-drama called, "About Time." The premise, on his 21st birthday, a young man learns from his father he has the ability to travel back in time. Apparently, it's a gift that only the men in the family get to enjoy. However, they can only visit a place or time they have already lived. He is discouraged from using the ability to seek fame or fortune, and decides instead to use it to find love.
The trips back in time are often funny, some are bittersweet. There are always lessons to be learned. In fact, the underlying message of the movie is to cherish the time you have with the people you love. We think the writing is remarkable, and each of the actors are believable, and lovable. It first came out in 2013, and we've watched it each Christmas since then. The season wouldn't be complete without it.
My favorite quote comes at the end of the movie. It shouldn't spoil it for you, and in fact, how the young man comes to this conclusion is the reason to watch. "The truth is I now don't travel back at all, not even for the day, I just try to live every day as if I've deliberately come back to this one day, to enjoy it, as if it was the full final day of my extraordinary, ordinary life."
Therefore when the family sat around the dinner table on Christmas day, and my philosophical daughter-in-law, who turns 40 next year, asked me if there is something I would tell myself at her current age of 39, I didn't hesitate. Live each day as if it's your last, and realize life is about appreciating all of the ordinary things we experience. Taking the children to school, drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, sitting in a quiet house at day's end. Savor each extraordinary moment.
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