I had the amazing privilege tonight to watch the soon to be, Oscar award winning movie, “Bring It On-Fight To The Finish.” OK, I’m so not serious right now! Maybe just a little delirious from trying to sit through another Bring It On movie…I mean, wow, how many more of these will they make? Let me guess, an underdog team rises to the occasion, you know, they really bring it on, and in the end they emerge VICTORIOUS!!!!! Listen to me people…it has been “broughten” one too many times, K?
I can do you one better…my precious husband actually sat through the entire movie with us. At the urging of our daughters, who so excitedly explained to us just how great this movie actually was, we voted it through for movie night, we all found a comfy spot on the couch (it’s a very big couch), and we sat through two hours of total predictability. Tony tried to get up and leave and then – “No Daddy, wait, wait, the next part is so funny!” He looked at me, sighed deeply, quick smile, and sat back down…Poor Daddy.
Then, without even knowing it was happening, something snuck up on me…The real meaning in this moment found it’s way to me. On my lap, D’Lo had fallen fast asleep. His perfect, little face still a mess from dinner. To my right, Devaney was sprawled out on that part of the couch I put the clean laundry (drives my husband crazy cuz we actually have a laundry room), of course she was sitting on top of that clean laundry. To my left sat my husband, belly to belly with our sleeping newborn son. A’Darius’ rolly poly body so perfectly positioned on his dad, his hairy little head being caressed by his father. To the left of my husband, Dee Dee and Little Tony sat, side by side, eyes locked on the TV, smiles fixed upon their faces…
Suddenly, the movie (even in it’s lack of entertainment value) wasn’t so important anymore. As I looked around at my family, I took a mental picture and, at once, locked it into my “Forever Memory Bank” (thanks Mama). Even as I write this post, that moment is gone. My children will someday be grown, God willing, with children of their own. They will look different, sound different, be different…and I am grateful for that too, but I still tucked tonight’s moment away for me… for my memory… forever.
That was beautiful and such an important lesson. As my children get closer to leaving our house, I try to remember to take those mental pictures too.
And the movie! A cinematic masterpiece! The depth of the acting…the thought provoking messages about todays society… I…I…could live the rest of my life without seeing another installment of this series. But, like your husband, I have found myself taken hostage. At least I am past the Barney days.