It's a Wonderful Life. It really is.

I'll never forget the first time I sat down and watched Frank Capra's marvelous work, It's a Wonderful Life. I must have been around the age of 10 or 11, and I'll tell you what: I was in no mood to watch a movie made in 1946 and filmed in black and white. Seriously, what kid would? I would have rather watched The Santa Clause 2. Good thing my dad knows a thing or two about classic flicks, and judging by the fact that almost every movie that I viewed with my dad as ended up being a favorite (Rocky, Back to the Future, Scent of a Woman, to name a few) I sat down in my favorite comfy chair and watched in pure joy the message Frank Capra had to deliver.

Ever since then, I have never, I repeat, never, missed a viewing of It's a Wonderful Life around the festive season, and tonight I continued that tradition. But for some reason, this viewing has affected me the most. It was emotional, and seemed more relevant for me to watch it this year than I ever had. I even began to feel a lump in my throat and started to tear up near the end when George Bailey's friends and family donate money to help save his job, and most importantly, his life.

That doesn't make much sense to me. I've seen it nearly twenty times and I never got that emotional. Why should I this time around? Then I began to think about this past year, and how much I've grown in my spiritual life. And the bottom line is this, friends: God is good.

I realized how many blessings that I have in my life; the school I go to, the friends I have there, the friends I have at home, the parents that raised me, the grandparents that raised them, my passion for film-making and storytelling, my cat, etc. I felt a bit overwhelmed. There's a lot to be thankful for.

Frank Capra asked us a simple question: are you thankful for the blessings in your life? I know I am, even if it took me a while to realize it. Needless to say, I'm so glad I received that wake up call like George Bailey.

God has given me a wonderful life, and if you give Him the chance, He will do the same for you.

JayBird