Beautiful Ambiguity

I’m really not sure what to call them. When we have someone in our life who means a lot to us, there are these little moments with them that are special, yet hard to explain. Take for example my soon-to-be-20-year-old daughter. I remember taking her to places where there were other kids like a birthday party, a park, or the nursery at church. I’d see her walk into that group of kids sometimes with confidence and excitement, with little fear of meeting new people and making friends. Other times she might look nervous or unsure. In either of those situations I would feel proud, hopeful, scared,

happy, heartbroken, and a number of emotions all at the same time. She’s in a perhaps mundane moment and I’m soaking it in with feelings that come from deep within.

These aren’t the feel good moments like seeing her walk for the first time, win a competition, or graduate. And they’re not sad moments like having to witness her fail a spelling test or break something that means a lot to her. They are simple, showstopping moments that can be shattered at any point by something simple like a loud noise or an interrupting conversation. They stand out in my mind as bits of time where the world stood still and nothing else mattered.

I’m not sure if any of this is making sense, but one of the reasons Jerry Maguire is amoung my favourite movies is its seeming ability to capture these kinds of moments. The ones that are tough to categorize. It’s hard to explain what’s going on when Rod is swarmed by reporters and he locks eyes with Jerry. Yes, it’s a special time for Rod, but he walks away from it for a quick minute and takes in one of these moments with Jerry. He doesn’t invite others into it nor does he explain what’s going on. No need to. Just stops to take it in and go back to the wonderful. So many of these times are shown between other characters in the film and I relish them every time.

My mind is chalk full of these memories. And for that I’m grateful.

Congratulations Jerry Maguire. This is your week.

And the Oscar goes to…

Best Actress:

Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side. I’m partial to Renée Zellweger in JM, but Bullock did win the Oscar for her role.

Best Actor: Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans.

Best Quote: “Show me the money!” — Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire in Jerry Maguire

So tonight I will finally get to see Bohemian Rhapsody. And did you know that Willem Dafoe is in one about Vincent Van Gogh and he plays the titular character? My hopes are up for that one.