the richest man in town

It's no secret that I'm a film buff and that It's A Wonderful Life happens to be my fave movie of all time. Yeah, yeah...before I hear this and that about Citizen Cane or Casablanca, all incredible films...there is still no movie that gets me in my gut, my heart, my tear ducts like this one. Every holiday season, I look forward to seeing it for the umpteenth time above anything else I do during the whole pine-scented shebang. It melts away the two or three layers of cynical shellac I may have put on throughout the year and just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Well, it's either that or the tub-sized Grey Goose martini that I make to go along with my viewing pleasure. At any rate, this fab piece of cinema is mandatory for anyone who happens to be in my casa on Christmas Eve. And Mama is all about tradition since I didn't get any holidays as a kid because my parents were in a religious cult. Oh, that isn't totally true, I guess. It's just my bitter talking...but I digress. I am just a big ole Christmas junkie for a lot of reasons aside from all the fun I missed out on as a tyke. To me, it's about many things...the magic, the music, the movies-most definitely, the tastes, the smells, the tree, the candlelight and all that hokey stuff like hope and love and dreams. It isn't so much about the other component because, hey, I'm a Buddhist, but that doesn't mean we can't all come together, no matter what our belief systems are, and celebrate goodwill toward men, peace to all, do unto others, good tidings and gay Yuletides. However, some of my pals Yuletides are just a wee bit gayer than others...

Fortunately, for those of us that are on a stay-at-home mom budget there are very few gifts involved, so it puts the focus right where I think it should be- on the drinking. Oh, relax. I jest. Well...sort of. Nah, for me it's more about the presence we have inside, not the presents we unwrap. Although, if my guy wants to surprise me with a stainless steel Wolf/Subzero 50 grand kitchen rehab, then that would be totally acceptable...or perhaps wake me up on Christmas morning with the keys to a red-ribboned Lexus. But since that and the Armani suit I've been promising him for a decade or so now may not be in the cards anytime soon, I'll settle for the squeals of my kids and the look on their faces when they see the leftover crumbs of Santa's cookies and the simple, sweet holiday cheer shared with my mixed mag-bag of nuts. They always fit and they're better than a tie and you never want to return them. And this particular movie is all about that. My two girls are gonna have to see this little treasure another 15 times or so before they're finally able to escape Mama's clingy clutches and fly the coop. When they're sixteen they'll probably try to lock themselves in their bedrooms. But I'll make them sit their butts right on down and take a lesson from the Master. Capra, that is. The king of the cut, a guy pretty darn good with a pen and the auteur that knew the essence of who we are, what we are, what our hearts are capable of and how our heads sometimes get in the way. And, he was the man that gave us the Supporting Actor categories for my beloved Academy Awards. Didn't know that, did ya? Well, he did, and I for one am most happy about that. I mean, where would Hollyweird be, left with all these crappy leads that can't act their way out of a paper bag, without the steadfast dependability and anchor-like selves of the supporting actor? Speaking of which, when you have Bondi and H.B. Warner in the same flick?...well, that is a master acting class, folks. You can not have a holiday without it. At least for this thespian. But that was no problemo when it came to holding the reins on this fine film. The incomparable Jimmy Stewart was the best in whatever he chose to do throughout his career. When that guy kicked the bucket, the world not only lost a great actor, but a true star and an even truer gentleman.

If you let it, this flick will tell you everything you need to know in life. The stuff that's really important, anyway. It does for me. Every time.


Never ever leave an alcoholic in charge of your accounting.

A lot of a-holes have good money karma. That's just the way it is.

Always tell those you love that you love them because you never know what the morning may bring.

Money isn't everything until you lose 8000 bucks of it and then it becomes a whole lot more important.

Suicide is never the answer. That's why there's reality T.V. When you watch it, then you and your somewhat dysfunctional life look a whole lot better. At least for me, anyway.

There is such a thing as a soul mate.

Your friends are everything. Especially when they pool their dough together and bail you out of a bad situation.

There are a scant few people that can be so drunk that they fall over a row of trashcans but remain lovable, irreplaceable and endearing. May we all aspire to be one of them in the lives of those we love. Er..well, you know what I mean.

Utilize some birth control unless you want a home that maintains a decibel level to that of a leaf blower.

Listen to your mom. Most of the time, she'll tell you what's right.

It's not a big, fancy house and money that keeps a romance alive. It is simply, love.

It's okay to look at someone's junk in the trunk, but advance to Go and head straight home to your companion and kids.

We all have a Clarence. Some may call it intuition or being in rhythm with life and its environment, or simply faith itself. It's always there and it's always working whether you're too damn deaf to hear the bell or not.

You're never to broke to go to Lowes and fix the baluster cap. That's a lawsuit just waiting to happen.

Always dream big, whether or not you find out that what you really need is right in your own backyard.

Instill compassion into your children. That will be the most important thing you do.

and last but not least...

Our truest joy can lie in the petals of a flower.

It truly is a wonderful life, my friends....underneath the gas prices, chaos and car payments. It's down there, but sometimes ya just gotta dig for it. May you challenge yourself to feel, be and do throughout the other eleven months of the year, and more importantly, may you have the great fortune to see the magic and wonder of the holidays through the eyes of a child whether you have one or not.