There is something about a holiday movie that makes us want to gather.
Perhaps it's the familiar stories. The characters we've come to know. The scenes we can recite before anyone speaks or maybe it's the way these stories remind us of something we already know but sometimes forget.
Love is rarely as tidy as we'd like.
Families are complicated. People disappoint us. Traditions change. Someone says the wrong thing at the dinner table. Someone else laughs when they probably shouldn't.
There are misunderstandings, old wounds, unexpected kindnesses, and moments so absurd that laughter is the only reasonable response.
Somewhere in the middle of it all, there is love.
Sometimes awkward, stubborn, expressed through a meal, an unexpected visit, or simply showing up.
I think that's why some of my favorite holiday movies aren't necessarily the happiest ones.
They make room for the whole of being human.
The longing to belong. The ache of missing someone. The frustration of loving people we don't always understand. The joy of discovering that even an imperfect gathering can become a cherished memory. Especially the laughter.
Sometimes the moments we remember most fondly are the ones that went completely wrong.
Maybe that's part of the gift of gathering.
We don't have to arrive as perfect versions of ourselves. We bring our stories, our differences, our hopes, our disappointments, and whatever the day has given us.
Sometimes we bring a little more than we intended.
Still, there is something beautiful about making room for one another.
Around a table. Beside a fire. Under a blanket, watching an old movie we've seen a hundred times.
Some are watching the movie. Others are drawn to the warmth of the fire. Someone might be pondering the stars, or simply remembering.
Different experiences. One shared moment.
Perhaps that's another gift of gathering. We can be together while leaving room for each of us to experience the moment in our own way.
Perhaps remembering isn't about recreating the holidays exactly as they once were.
It's quite simply about recognizing the love that was there, acknowledging what has changed, and remaining open to the moments still waiting to become memories.
Messy, real, sad, angry, gentle, funny love.
The kind that makes us human.
The kind worth remembering.
A Little Pondering
Which holiday movie makes you feel everything and somehow brings you back to love?
Perhaps it's one that makes you laugh until you cry. Or one that reminds you of someone dear.
I'd love to know.
Dearworthy™
Remembering gives us roots. Becoming gives us room to grow.
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