Thursday, May 21, 2009

Holding Hands

It is harder using my neice's computer and not being comfortable with it. I keep having to go get her to help me figure out what I did wrong. So tonight I asked her to sit by me till I finish my post. I read this cute story tonight and thought it was appropriate for me. It really does seem that when things go wrong that life is much easier to bear when you hold someone's hand. So since it is late and the wedding is in the morning, I will leave you with this cute story. Good night and thanks for holding my hand on more than one occassion

Holding Hands with Elizabeth
Years from now when I think about the movie Cast Away I will remember a story line, some extraordinary special effects, and a remarkable acting performance by Tom Hanks

But mostly I'll remember holding hands with Elizabeth.

We went to see the film as a family, which is why i wasn't sitting by my wife, Anita. We have found that keeping eleven year old Elizabeth and her nine year old brother, Jon, away from each other is the best way to keep them from killing each other in the dark. It isn't that they fight all the time; it's just that we never know when a fight is going to erupt. So we sit between them, and hope they never figure out how to launce milk-duds at each other, over top of us.

Just a few minutes into the movie-and I hope I'm not spoiling this for anyone- there's a frightening realistic plane crash. In fact, it was a little to frightening and a little too realistic for Elizabeth's taste. She leaned up against me, her head pressed against my shoulder, and reached over and took my hand, squeezing it tightly.

"It's ok sweetie," I said. "Remember, it's only a movie. Just close your eyes and pretty soon it will all be over."

And pretty soon it was. Within a few minutes the scary part was over for Elizabeth, and she was sitting up in her seat. Happily independent, her hands busy with popcorn and soda.

It wasn't long, however, before another scary part came along. Only this wasn't a scary part for Elizabeth-This was a scary part for me. For as long as I can remember, I had been claustrophobic. You want to scare me to death? Put me in a crowded elevator- and then make it stop. So when Tom Hanks started exploring that cave, I started cowering in my seat. Heart pounding. Palms sweating. Afraid to look-afraid not too. And I'm thinking, If there are any spiders or snakes in this cave, i'm outta here.

Suddenly I felt a hand reaching out in the darkness, a calm, steady, eleven year old hand, slightly seasoned with salt and butter, flavored topping. It grabbed onto my hand firmly, squeezing reassuringly, as Elizabeth again leaned up against me, her head again pressed against my shoulder.

"It's okay Daddy," she said. "Remember, it's only a movie. Just close your eyes, and pretty soon it will all be over."

And pretty soon it was. Only this time, I didn't let go of Elizabeth's hand after the scary part was over, and she didn't let go of mine. We just sat there through the rest of the movie, holding onto each other and helping each other through the film's subsequent ups and downs.

That's how Elizabeth and I made it through Cast Away. And it occurs to me that that's how we all make it through life, too. Although we like to think of ourselves as happily independent and self-reliant, when the scary parts of life come-as they always do, eventually-it's comforting to be able to lean against family and friends, to hear their reassurance that it's okay, and to reach out in the darkness to find a calm, reassuring hand.

With or without the butter-flavored topping.
-Look What Love Has Done by Joseph Walker

1 comment:

Julie N. said...

Such a sweet story!! Hope you are having a great time...love you!