***Warning... this contains a jumble of thoughts... probably not coherent to anyone who reads it. (I worked a 14 hours shift today and came home knowing a I had to blog.) Continue reading if you wish
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to watch the movie "The Impossible" staring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. Now I went into this movie knowing it would be difficult because I remember the news when the tsunami hit back in 2004... but in all honesty I wasn't prepared for what actually took place. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that around a quarter of a million died from that one event. 250,000 people taken from the earth at one time. It literally is too big for me to comprehend. But that is just one of my jumbled thoughts from watching the movie.
The second is that it was a true story of a real family. The mother was there on set and took everyone through her story. If you have moment please google or bing (whichever is your search engine of choice) her story and listen to this remarkable woman. She brings me to tears and helps me see that we can be more than we are at the moment, that we can choose to be true to ourselves and do the right things even when they aren't the easiest.
I love the story of this family, and I love that they were willing to share this with us. Maria has taught me so much more about what a mothers love really is. I have a wonderful mother and great examples of mothers all around me, but since I'm not one yet I don't think I can fully grasp what a calling/job/gift that it is. The opportunity to be a parent is the most important thing someone can ever do in their life. You are the center of your children's world, and they are yours.
Now after watching that movie a friend and I searched online to see if Maria had written a book about her families experience, and we were saddened to see that she hadn't but that there were other books about the events of the tsunami. So at 9:30pm we dove to Barnes & Noble and searched for any books that might tell us more real stories from this event. The man at customer service told us there weren't any in stock but we could order them online. But on our way out I looked at the staff pick books and came across "Wave" by Sonali Deraniyagala and I snatched it up.
Now this story literally has torn my heart out and step on it as it walked away. Sonali and her family (her husband, two sons, parents, and friends) were vacationing during the tsunami, but her story is so much more devastating. She lost all those she was with when the wave hit, and in her book she tells of her grief process in the years since the event. That Sonali is still being true to herself and her family even through the hell she has had to walk through shows me that when you love as a mother that love never leaves, never separates it only deepens with time.
I honestly can't bring to words my thoughts and feelings while reading her memoir. It is perfect and ugly and raw and so real it hurts to read it. I am sorry she ever had to have those experiences but I am grateful she is strong enough to write about it/relive it and share it with us so that we can be strengthened by her.
I'm not sure why I have been hit so deeply by this movie and these real life stories, but my heart literally aches for them now weeks later. I am grateful for my family and friends who anchor me and remind me of who I truly am, I am also extremely grateful for movies and books that continually teach me more about myself and who I am striving to become.
We are so much stronger than we give ourselves credit for... especially Moms. Moms... you blow my mind with your strengths and capacities that only seem to grow as your children do. Thank you. Thank you for being good, and imperfect, and yet perfect for your children. Thank you for loving them and caring for them so beautifully! Please hug them and be grateful for them and love them with your whole being.
