Soul Surfer

I had borrowed my neighbor's copy of the movie Soul Surfer, but hadn't found a good time to sit down and watch it yet. I happened to have some extra time on Christmas Day, as we had finished opening gifts and were waiting to join our neighbors for dinner later in the day, so I put it in, plopped in the comfy recliner in the sunroom, and pressed the play button. I was a bit unprepared for the drama, as I figured it would only be emotional during the actual shark attack. As I sat spellbound by the movie, the tears kept creeping to the corners of my eyes as I struggled to hold back the tidal wave I knew would come if any of my family members walked into the room to ask me a question. Thankfully, they left me alone, thinking I had fallen asleep for a nap in the chair.

What is so moving about this movie is that it is SOMEONE'S STORY, and we all have one. When authors and film makers create reality on screen or in a book, we see circumstances and have feelings that we all can relate to. Maybe it also was more emotional for me because I was watching it on Christmas Day when we are all "wrapped up" in getting things for ourselves. It made me appreciate the abundance that surrounds me in this country at all times, and to not feel sorry for myself when things don't go my way.

A movie like this gives me hope in young people. That young people will use bad things that happen to them for the common good~ meaning, they are willing to share their story and make good choices. We all have to go through a time of grieving when we lose someone or something (in this case her arm) that is very valuable to us, and to see that she experienced those stages of grief, picked herself up, and moved on to accomplish great things is empowering.

One of the themes of the story is to never give up on your dreams, and along with that, use adversity as a training tool. If you haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend it. Boys and men might think it a bit sappy, but the story is great.