We Always Have a Choice

A week or so ago we were sitting at the movies, plowing our way through the first bucket of buttered popcorn, watching previews. CS and I have a habit - I'm not talking about the one of eating two large buckets of popcorn - but rather, of watching previews and after each one, commenting whether we want to go see the movie or not. Anything scary, I whisper, 'couldn't pay me', or if it has Melissa McCarthy or pretty much anyone from the SNL cast, 'not a chance' (not judging if that's your cup of tea, it's just not mine); action adventure with catastrophes is almost always a yes for both of us. So two previews came up, and as soon as I saw them I not only wanted to see the movie, I knew they'd come from a book.

I was right.

I'm intrigued over the first, 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children', based on the book of the same title by Ransom Riggs (cool name!). Odd, not quite sure what is going on, but looks interesting. The author's debut novel, turned into a NYT bestseller and now coming out as a movie - I love when that happens! (Bet he did too....)

The second was one of those that you knew would just take your breath away, you'd hang on every scene, 'The Light Between Oceans'. Again based on the book by the same title, again debut novel by M. L. Stedman, again NYT bestseller and now coming out as a movie.

I can't wait to see both. Knowing the book is almost always better than the movie, I headed to the library and checked out both. I've learned as soon as the movie comes out neither book will be available.

I just finished The Light Between Oceans, read it in a handful of days, which is pretty fast for me, and especially fast in light of the fact we've been watching grandkids during all that time. Wonderful, wonderful book, with such a beautiful story that I can't wait for the movie to put faces and voices to characters I grew to love.

I try, when reading library books, to not write in them, to not dog ear the pages, but sometimes there's a line or a paragraph that I know I'm going to want to go back and read several times, or jot in my journal. Deep into the book, as my eyes skimmed across the page, I came to this paragraph, and was stopped dead in my tracks.

""... You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all day, every day."You have to keep remembering all the bad things. He laughed, pretending to wipe sweat from his brow. "I would have to make a list, a very long list and make sure I hated the people on it the right amount. That I did a very proper job of hating, too: very Teutonic! No" - his voice became sober - "we always have a choice. All of us."" 

I can't imagine there is anyone out there who can't relate to this. Such a profound statement! Immediately people came to mind, those I've held grudges against, resented, judged and found guilty, said I forgave but didn't really. I realized the gift to myself it would be to just truly forgive, let go, release all those wrongs, slights, hurts, insults, etc. Truly forgive, rather than just say I did, and go on resenting whatever they'd done or not done.

Then hope they did the same for me.

We always have a choice. All of us.