Its A Wonderful Life

Every holiday season there is that one token movie you always make sure you watch. It just doesn't feel like the holiday season until you've seen the movie, that movie, your movie. I have several movies I feel that way about, but there is that one movie I have to see every year that makes the difference.

It's A Wonderful Life

What would the holidays be like if I didn't see it at least once? Sure, I could play the DVD, but the anticipation of knowing it's going to be on TV and waiting for it come on TV that makes it so much more fun. I love It's A Wonderful Life. It's the basic story of the George Bailey we all know or the Mary we happen to be ourselves, or the children that come along with the marriage and the normal pursuits and pressures of life that makes us relate to this story.

If we had the chance to see what our lives would have been like, like George did, would we still choose the life we know now all over again? Yeah, I think we would.

Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Karolyn Grimes, who played ZuZu, Georges' youngest daughter, in It's A Wonderful Life. She had the iconic line in the movie, "Look Daddy, teachers says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings." Karolyn's list of movies as a young actor had her acting along side some of the biggest players in Hollywood at the time. From 1945 to 1952 she made over 16 films acting along side the likes of Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Betty Grable, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Glen Ford, Maureen O'Hara, John Wayne and, of course, Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, to name just a few.

My family has a long history of being in the movie business so, I don't get too excited about seeing a movie star, but because this movie means a lot to me and reminds me of my childhood and my mother during the holidays, it meant a lot to me to meet her today.

Though I was not able to take pictures of her, (the venue would not allow photographs) I was glad I got to spend ten uninterrupted minutes talking with her. I did take home a token of our visit, an ornament with her signature, which now hangs on my Christmas tree, and a memory that means a lot to me.

It truly is a wonderful life!