Day 52: I couldn't stay away

For Christmas, I had given the gift of time to my family. Each person got a different gift of time - based on what I thought would be most important to them. For K, it is an outing with me. She is older and her interests are changing. I think having a time set aside once a month where she & I can go have a "date" - where she chooses what we do - will be good for her and good for us, as mother & daughter.

I suggested this morning, that our January outing should be watching Les Miserable at the theater. She happily agreed.

The musical is full of life lessons and truisms...and is such a classic, uplifting, wholesome and healing kind of story. It is also full of adult themes.

I think, depending on where your heart is, Les Mis can either be a dark tale or an uplifting tale. Are there dark aspects to the story? yes, one character is forced into prostitution, another character is at the mercy of pick pockets & thieves. But that is life - isn't it?

Just because I believe in God and strive to live a good life does not mean my life will be perfect - sometimes tragedy and struggles happen regardless. Should I shield my children from reality? No, I don't think so...it does not prepare them for the real world. I do not have to subject them to the ugly side of life, but when a story comes along that shows "yes, the world is ugly, but look what happens when you choose to follow God and put your trust in him" then I think it is worth it.

Am I justifying a bit? maybe. I don't know. What I do know, is that when I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade I saw stage productions of "My Fair Lady", "Fiddler on the Roof", and another one about the pioneers heading west to Utah (sorry, don't know the name of that one). When I was 12, my grandparents took me to see the ballet, "Billy the Kid". When I was in high school, I was part of a stage production for "Lil' Abner". When I was in college, I saw a stage production for "Grapes of Wrath."

Theater touches the heart and the soul. Music touches the heart and the soul. Books can touch the heart and soul. If I had the means to take my children to stage productions, I would. This film was the closest I could come for myself and for K.

When we learn in history of the struggles of people to be heard and to be free...it is just words. Sometimes it is a game because the children and I choose to re-enact something. But now, now when we speak of struggles, we have a movie and songs to fall back on. The fight for freedom that currently exists in parts of the world is no different than what occurred in France in the 1800s or in America in the 1700s. The desire to be free is in all of us.

When we speak at church of the balance that Christ brings to mercy and justice it can be just words, but now, now...K has a reference point. She even brought it up on the way home. One character, Javier,  believed in justice. He believed in hard work, duty and God. He did not believe in mercy. Even after he showed mercy he did not understand it. This character felt that he did something wrong.

Yet, the hero of the story, Jean Valjean, embraced mercy when it was shown to him. He understood mercy so well that he was able to forgive those that hurt him when he was a prisoner. Jean Valjean was able to understand that Javier is just doing his duty. Jean Valjean lives his life a changed man always seeking ways to show mercy and help others.

Javier represented justice. Jean Valjean represented mercy. Christ represents both. K  gets that now. I get that now.

When a story is so powerful that it changes you...well, I couldn't stay away. I hope to visit the world of Les Miserable often. I hope it continually changes me and moves me.