Timeless Life Lessons from “It’s a Wonderful Life”

By Mike Sparks

Last night while at my in-law’s home for Christmas Eve the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life was playing. The movie is a touching Christmas classic and I would argue one of the most beloved movies of all time. The movie is produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet The Greatest Gift, which Philip Van Doren Stern published in 1943. The movie stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his dreams to help others, and whose impending suicide on Christmas Eve but with the help of his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence proceeds to show George how his life has touched the lives of so many others and how much different life would be for his wife Mary and his community of Bedford Falls if George had not been born. I reflected my own life and the ‘What ifs.’

As I watched the movie (I seemed to be the only one watching while others were busy playing a board game Risk that my son Preston brought over) I began to feel a sense of dismay as I thought of how the movie parallels our lives today. I said to myself: are now living in Pottersville? 

Just the other morning while viewing News Channel 5 numerous tv commercials of gambling, casinos, title pawn, payday lenders and more were playing. I thought of how our community and country will continue to suffer much greater problems when people fall prey to the 300% interest rates and become addicted to gambling and lose everything they have worked for.

The movie is full of some important life lessons. Maybe I’m old fashioned or becoming philosophical as I grow older, but I often feel like I’m the only one who seems to notice these issues.

Feel free to email me and let me know your thoughts at MikeSparksTn@gmail.com.