Parenthood

I watched the Steve Martin classic "Parenthood" tonight on cable -- one of my all-time favorite movies. A cleaned up, no swearing version on WE, it left some of the scenes a bit hacked up, but my favorite was fully intact. It's grandma, near the end of the movie, telling how her late husband had taken her on a roller coaster when she was a young girl. She loved it. She couldn't believe how something could make her feel frightened, excited, and thrilled all at once. Some didn't like it, she said; they liked the merry-go-round. But it just goes round and round - nothing. You just have to love that grandma.

It reminded me of a conversation this morning as we talked about "getting through" this hot period. And I thought, why are we so anxious just to get through it? We'll soon enough to be in the opposite season wishing the same thing. Why not try to enjoy the moment?

Endurance. Enduring till the end. How about enjoying till the end? Enduring implies waiting until things get better. But every day offers something joyful, lovely, heartwarming, or downright funny. All of those describe my second favorite scene in Parenthood, when Rick Moranis sings "Close To You" in his wife's school classroom.

Someone recently said to me, end each day with a smile. Good advice.