“It’s A Wonderful Life” is my favorite Christmas show of all time.

George Bailey of Bedford Falls spends his entire life putting others’ dreams before his own. Through a series of unfortunate events, George begins to feel his life is “worth more dead than alive.”

This is where we meet George’s guardian angel Clarence, who shows up just as George is about to jump off a bridge into the icy river water.

What follows is a massive flashback where George is given the chance to see what his quaint little town, and the people in it, would be like if he wasn’t there.

Clarence tells George: “You’ve been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you.”

CAN YOU IMAGINE???

Can you imagine what the world would be like without you?

George Bailey didn’t think he had that much of an impact because he had missed out on so much, like his planned travels because he had to stay home to take care of the Building and Loan he helped run with his Uncle Billy. And what about riches? Yep, missed those too when he passed up jumping on the plastic revolution with his high school chum Sam Wainwright.

I know I’ve missed out on many travel opportunities because of the responsibilities of life (and the proverbial lack of requisite funds). And who knew Apple and Google stocks would soar to such astronomical heights? And let’s not talk about that penny stock that quickly drained away a hefty little investment.

George also missed out on the war because he lost his hearing in one ear as a result of saving Harry after he had fallen through the ice when they were younger. So while George stays in Bedford Falls, helping out at home with the recycling effort and being the local air-raid warden, Harry flies off (literally) to be part of the action. As Navy fighter pilot, Harry shoots down 15 enemy planes, including two that were about to crash into a transport ship full of soldiers. Harry is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions that day.

Now think about this.

What if George Bailey had not lived? He would not have been there to rescue younger brother Harry that day when the ice gave way. Then Harry wouldn’t have been there to save that transport ship full of soldiers.

What if you had not lived? What great things wouldn’t have happened because you weren’t there to set in motion the chain of events that would cause them to happen?

Or what about that small insignificant event almost no one else even knows of? Does it really have the power to also change the world?

Now maybe it would be easy to dismiss my musings as a naive schoolboy caught up in a romantic fairytale of story.

Perhaps.

Or just maybe… just maybe I tell you… if we look a little deeper we will see a little bit of George Bailey in each of us.

After all, George’s story is my story, in many, many ways.

And just as Clarence said before earning his angel wings: “You see George, you’ve really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?”

Embrace Your Wonderful Life!

Have a great Monday! Thanks for letting me share!

Les

p.s. Take 13 minutes today to enjoy the closing scene of It’s A Wonderful Life. It makes me cry just thinking about it. Then while you’re at, my second favorite Christmas movie is also Jimmy Stewart classic. Any guesses???

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