Magical Excursions

Magical Excursions

I was on a flight to California when I discovered the film A Love Song. Four hours with no distractions or interruptions is a rare treat for me, and being stuck in the clouds always makes me reflective. I can be romantic that way. I am normally in constant motion so being forced to sit allows me to spend time in my head. A dangerous but lovely place. There’s a beauty in seeing your life from the clouds, suspended in time, pondering the past and the future.

A Love Song was described by critics as a movie of extraordinary stillness in a noisy world. There were no car chases, mystery plots or hot sex scenes. The chatty passengers and crying babies were hazy and distant and my eyes were glued to the tiny screen. I found myself glancing over at my husband who was intently reading as he always is. He was glued to his own tiny Kindle screen. We always sit side by side in the aisle so we don’t get stuck in the middle seat. Close enough to hold hands and share snacks, but pragmatic about the choice. Tears sprung to my eyes. This film touched a nerve in me and I wasn’t quite sure why.

The movie is a story about two old friends who are now widowers. Faye played by Dale Dickey (a familiar actor though I couldn’t recall a film I had seen her in) is camped out in the Colorado mountains. She sent a letter to Lito, a man she knew from long ago, inviting him to meet her in the rural mountain area where they had spent time together when they were young. She spends each day alone in the mountains. The routine never changes. Wake, fish, coffee, read. Repeat. There is a familiar stillness and predictability to each day, but it mesmerizes me. She patiently awaits, not sure when or if he will arrive.

One day, a vehicle slows by her campsite and her entire demeanor changes. I was captured by her transformation as she anticipates his arrival. Faye is not a young woman and by most definitions she is not a beautiful woman. But at that moment, she transforms from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Beauty shines from within and she is hopeful, yearning, and alive. I was surprised to see a giddy reaction from this woman and it made me realize that longing doesn’t really change despite the package it arrives in. It may be hidden dormant behind grief, pain and wrinkles, but like volcano emotions are powerful and disruptive.

Lito does arrive and they have an evening together. Connecting, reminiscing, and opening the window to their desires. He asked if he could take a picture of her and told her that she was beautiful. She was reluctant and said her days of being beautiful were long gone. He Insisted. She smiled for the camera, resistant at first, but then softening at his encouragement. This simple tender moment moved my heart. It was quiet but powerful, demonstrating how someone can be transformed by the eyes of another soul, regardless of age.

The movie doesn’t end the way I thought it would, and at first I was disappointed, shocked actually. I sat quietly on the plane listening to the closing credits and the poignant music, smiling, and crying. I was deeply stirred and baffled by my reaction. Something was tugging at my heart like dog on a leash and it made me question why it is so hard to be happy in the moment we are in.

There is a constant push and pull in life as we hurry to the next place, the next goal, the new chapter, the next love. Always searching for the happy ending. Brushing right past the magical excursions that make up our life. Those tiny, quiet, sometimes uneventful events. The calendar pages blur by like an old cartoon book when you flip the pages quickly. Do you remember those? Magic!

Life slips by. Sometimes we thrive, sometimes we wither, but regardless we go on. One foot forward, sometimes three steps back. On our journey we may be alone, married, divorced, or widowed. Through it all we have one true companion to the end. A steady friend. Our self. Be kind and gentle with your own heart. Recognize your worth, strength and desires. Make peace with yourself and joy will always find you.

“You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it yourself.”

As our life advances, we may believe that our best days are behind us but we have no idea what’s ahead or what we might be capable of. Enjoy those you encounter along the way. For a night or a lifetime. However long you get, that’s long enough. Grab those magical excursions every chance you get. Love someone, connect with others and most importantly, love yourself.

A Love Song- Official Trailer

I hope you will check out the movie! Let me know what you think!