July 20, 2009 11:11 AM
Parenting as a roller coaster ride - enjoy!
A little inspiration - because we all need to keep encouraging each other through the ups and downs of motherhood - from Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room:
Just the other our night, our family watched an old favorite of ours, Parenthood, which never fails to make me laugh until I cry. Definitely not a Christian worldview movie (warning if you watch with kids - have the fast-forward button handy for just a few scenes), but I love it because it's filled with compassion for all the imperfect but mostly well-intentioned parents it portrays - the way I think God must be full of compassion when he sees all our craziness.The most down-to-earth parents are Gil (Steve Martin) and Karen (Mary Steenburgen), who already have their worries with an anxiety-ridden ten-year-old - their own "little extra." Karen's confided to her sister-in-law that she loves being a Just a Mommy, that she feels she's good at it, and she'd love to have another baby. But when she finds out she's pregnant, Gil has just lost his job. He's upset and she accuses him of wanting her to have an abortion. He says it's her choice, when what she wants to hear is his commitment to the baby.
In the midst of Gil's tantrum, his live-in grandmother comes in with this story:
Grandma leaves to wait for them in the car as they're on their way to see their two oldest kids in the school play. Gil looks after her like, "Hunh?" and makes a sarcastic comment.
Karen: I happen to LIKE the roller coaster, okay? As far as I'm concerned, your grandmother is brilliant.
Gil: Yeah if she's so brilliant why is she sitting in our NEIGHBOR'S CAR?!
At the play, their youngest child, a handful and a half, gets upset and rushes onstage, causing complete pandemonium. Some people are laughing, but some are angry because the show is ruined. Gil - who worries a lot about what people think - is completely distraught, looking almost nauseous. Suddenly, we hear the unmistakable roar of the rollercoaster and Gil and Karen begin weaving across the screen like they're in the front seat with all the people in cars behind. Gil's terrified, but when he sees how much Karen is enjoying it, he starts to relax, and by the end of the ride - signaled by the whoosh of the rollercoaster sliding to a stop and the crowd's emotions subsiding - he is a changed person. He puts his hand on her belly and smiles, accepting the future.
The beautiful ending to Parenthood is one which most people miss. Flash forward a year to see all the new babies the family has produced - including Gil and Karen's. Most people wouldn't notice - unless they knew one themselves - that they've had a little girl with Down syndrome. Good thing Karen had pledged allegiance to the rollercoaster - and good thing Gil decided it might not be so bad after all.
Parenthood - motherhood - is a rollercoaster. For some it's easier than others to be ready for the ride. But to enjoy it, you have to stop resisting and controlling and just go where it takes you. You have to be ready for the belly flops and heart stops. It always looks to me as though the ones having the most fun are the ones brave enough to lift their arms in surrender and just LET GO. And for believers, the beauty of letting go means we're letting God.
You can be sure of one thing: God knows what wonderful plans He has for you as a mother! And He will be there to lift you and sustain you through the incredible adventure ahead.
Posted in Inspiration, Movies | Permalink
Comments
Parenthood is my absolute favorite movie of all time!
Posted by: KatieButler | July 20, 2009 3:26 PM
Thank you Barbara for the encouraging reminder. I just found your site recently and it has blessed me beyond words!!!
God Bless you!
Monica
Posted by: Monica | July 20, 2009 8:33 PM
