It's A Wonderful Life- Maybe

It's that time of year again when the Christmas specials run rampant on TV, and the networks trot out all the old stand-bys. Even my tween and teen boys still enjoy watching the Charlie Brown and Rudolph cartoons once a year, and I'd have to admit my all-time favorite is the original, black and white version of It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed (she's from Iowa).

But this year, while watching my dear Bailey & Loan doing battle with the greedy Potters of the world, I was struck by the similar situations that have occurred today in our own economic battles of the 2008 Depression. The glaring omission was the lack of integrity and support that most people go through in today's dog-eat-dog world compared to old fashion support in the movie.

Now, when people are in a bad way financially, or for whatever reason, it's seems the first thing that today's society will do is to kick the guy on the ground as a kind of litmus test to see if the guy is hurting for real, or just faking it. There is nothing quite like adding insult to injury to the guy laying there.

I know: I have been that guy for the past couple of years. Boy, when the feces hits the ventilator, everybody scatters.

I know the old cliche of you really get to know who your true friends are when times are tough is an old cliche, but I would like to update it in a scary way: maybe you don't want to know who your real friends are, especially if it reflects whom you really are.

Put aside all the stupid, petty and ridiculous reasons that people use to part ways, and throw in a disaster, depression or debacle of some kind and then watch the fallout of your supposed "friends". I know for me, it was shocking that the people I thought cared about me the most scattered like cockroaches when the light is turned on. That feeling of desertion hurts- it hurts a lot.

Secondly, the bench warmers of life- your family- were supposed to be up to the task of helping you out in really tough situations. I'm not talking about shelling out tons of money. I'm talking about the simple things that can soon overwhelm a person suffering a tragic loss. Simple things like helping with the laundry, dishes or just taking the kids for awhile to give that person a break. It hurts when you beg a sibling for a little help- and their answers range from "no" to "go ask the church for help" especially when they are secular.

Thirdly, when a person realizes that the only "friends" they have left aren't the people that they really want to spend time with, or sit next to on the ride to work, it is very disappointing. Especially when half of your life has already passed, and it is definitely harder for old dogs to make new friends. You have to be a good friend to have good friends; and that is priceless.

The answer could come in the form of Clarence, in search of his angel's wings, or it may have to come to a serious values and integrity search of the person staring back at you in the mirror. It is never too late to make changes in your own life to make sure it's a wonderful life.

Sheila