The holidays are notoriously a time of year packed with sweets. Cookies, pies and candy are everywhere. But it is also a time full of a different kind of sweet. The kind produced by acts of kindness and thoughtfulness that leave us thinking or saying, “That is so sweet.”
I saw it within my children, my wife, my mom, my sister, my in-laws, and friends. It was not limited, however, to people I knew. People holding doors for one another. Children at malls all dressed up sitting on Santa’s lap. Workers at restaurants and gas stations who despite pulling long holiday shifts, still smiled and wished me a happy new year. How sweet.
And then there was the two hours I spent with my family in the movie theatre watching Song Sung Blue. The movie follows two strivers whose only wish is to sing and make a living doing it. Their chosen avenue is to create a Neil Diamond experience (not to be confused with an impersonator.) Truth be told, I am an unabashed Neil Diamond fan. His music was the soundtrack to my younger days spent in Boston. It is somewhat ironic to the theme of this essay, that one of the running notes in the film was that Diamond was so much more than “Sweet Caroline.”
In fact, much is made of his lesser known song. “”Soolaimon” which serves as an invitation for fellowship. Asking us to suspend reality and taste the sweetness in life. Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman are so earnest and honest as they play the real-life couple whose lives were hard and marked by tragedy. They persevered and maintained such a sweetness about them – one that radiates especially when they take the stage.
Throughout the movie, I found myself smiling, full of hope – even when dark times come for our heroes. More than a few sweet tears fell down my cheek.
When it was over my family – to a person – all commented how much they loved the movie – the only disagreement were which character was the sweetest.
My mother, who is responsible for my love for Neil Diamond, held my youngest daughter’s hand the whole movie. A sweet memory that they undoubtedly will share the rest of their lives.
Sometimes I think sweetness is most often experienced by the youngest and oldest amongst us. Children by their innocence and nature are capable of producing a seemingly endless fountain of sweetness. Their older counterparts, ripened by age and wisdom, look to squeeze it out during their remaining days. Which perhaps explains the extraordinarily long hug my mom gave me as I left her place to continue our holiday journey to my in-laws. She did not want to let go and so she did not. When our embrace finally ended and I walked out the door, my middle daughter looked at me and said simply, “Grandma is so sweet.”
We can learn so much from our children and from our parents – including tapping into their deep appreciation for the sweetness in life.
In January many of us swear of sweets after indulging during the holidays. Never-the-less, may your first week in January be especially sweet.
Recommendation of the Week: Of course, please go see Song Sung Blue.
Share this with someone who could use something sweet this week.