Tis that time of year when holidays and family are upon us. And I want to make a passionate recommendation for the film ‘Home for the Holidays‘. Here is a film that gently illuminates the bittersweet complexity of being human and of being part of families. This is one of the only films I love watching again almost every year. I know we often say that we loved a film so much we’ll watch it again, but in my case, there are few films that have me coming back again and again to appreciate anew. What I particularly love in this film is that there are no easy answers or lazy humor at the expense of someone else.
This film reminds me of my own life and of work I do with clients. One of my primary visions, with myself and working with others, is being to appreciate our own complexities and the richness of what it is to be human. And that there are rarely easy answers. And that we are filled with paradoxes…. that we love and we dislike; that we feel optimistic and despair, that we can be productive and stuck; and that we can feel confident and inadequate. So much in our lives and culture suggests there are obvious answers, usually in the product or service being offered. My experience suggests that life is far more mysterious and surprising and our very complexity is at the heart of what makes life so rich. The hard work is of discovering more of all of who we are ,what we deeply care about and that we can never fully know any of these things. But the fun is in the exploring and uncovering the underlying potentials within ourselves, our relationships, our homes and our work and then finding enlivening ways to express ourselves.
I’d love to hear from any of you about other films that you feel have gotten to the heart of this carnival of life.