You know I love stories. I often bring you books and movies as examples of…
…deep personal growth, sources of reflection, or inspiration. To me, stories are an opportunity to exercise your emotions. As you exercise them,
Pay attention to what moves you.
I re-watched Sister Act 2 this weekend. When I got to the end and saw the “Annual State Choir Contest 1993” sign, my jaw about hit the floor. Has it really been 23 years since that wonderful movie was made?????
I am moved by Sister Act 2 every time I see it. Of course I love Whoopi Goldberg, and her affection for Maggie Smith and her fellow nuns shines. But most moving for me is watching the way music transforms the kids. Even more than that, it’s watching how as they find the courage to commit to their dream, they come alive and shine in magnificent ways.
“Rita” is a student who longs to become a professional singer, but whose mother tells her over and over that “singing does NOT put bread on the table.” Too obedient to disobey, and too cool to show how it hurts her to be cut off from her dream, Rita is stuck. Finally, she risks her mother’s rejection to participate in the contest.
It’s hard to say which is more moving: the way Rita lights up when performing, or the moment with her mother after it’s over. Love and understanding finally flows between them. It’s a beautiful moment of recognition and healing.
I recognize these themes as powerful in my own life: dreams, finding the courage to embrace them, learning to risk disapproval, and loving the support when it comes.
What moves you these days?
With all the recent and real emotion around politics, it’s a good time to go inward; to notice what moves you. What flows from somewhere deep inside? What will you take a stand on for yourself, for your family, for your community, for the world?
It doesn’t need to be big, but it needs to be deep and real. This is what matters. Finding these things grounds you in who you are and how you choose to live. And these are the things we can do, no matter what is happening around us.
