notebooked
| I'm usually not into chick flicks. At the same time, I consider myself a sensitive guy. I'm finishing up one of my graduate classes on marriage counseling. My coursework requires me to choose two movies with a strong marital theme and extract concepts and thoughts that could be used in the counseling setting. I briefly considered t The Incredibles would be a good start ... Ala, "Baby! Where's my super suit!" I needed something more though ... As I flipped through our dvd collection at the house to work on movie #2, I found the "chick flick" section. You know the one. Movies that you leave for your wife to watch when you're stuck working late. Or movies to watch when you're stuck in the dog house and need to have some "together" time. Movies that most men would never confess to watching alone. And there it was. The consummate ineedatishoo chick flick right there next to Beaches...... The Notebook. I asked Lara if she wanted to watch it with me (cause men don't watch chick flicks alone). She said she wasn't in the mood to cry. |
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| I was stuck. For God and country. I decided to take one for the team. I would have to watch a chick flick alone. And so I fire up the laptop and plug in the speakers and sit back in my chair with my own notebook to extract the concepts and ideas I would write about in my paper. I mustered all the manliness that I could and settled in, determined not to let this flick get to me. I should have known better. I fell in love with Lara 19 years ago. And I never imagined in my wildest dreams that my capacity to love her would increase over the years. The Notebook made me weep like a baby. I couldn't hold it together. Especially when Lara walks in the room right when the movie ends. There was no hiding it. I was caught in a non-manly moment. I had been Notebooked. Serving God and growing old with the woman who I pledged to honor, cherish and love is a holy privilege. My love for Lara welled over in my heart and in my eyes. In all it's sappiness, this movie reminded me that love is a choice. It's intentional. It requires effort. And marriage is like a triangle with God at the top and the man and woman at each corner. The closer the couple draws closer to God the closer they draw to each other. It's all about priorities and remembering our first love, God; and the gift that our spouses are to us. May I always keep God first. Lara second. Our children third. Church fourth. and Me fifth. I think we should all be Notebooked now and then. Ineedatishoo. | |
Both Shelley and I are fortunate enough to have great examples long-term marital commitment in our Grandparents. My Dad's parents were married 65+ years, Shelley's Dad's parents were married almost 60 and here Mom's parents are still going strong at 66+ years.
Movies like the NOTEBOOK build on those examples for me and are wonderful in that they present a moral challenge to everyone regardless of their faith. It inspires us to dedicate our life to someone else not only out of a sense of duty or obligation but from the most powerful motivator of all - selfless, unconditional love.
That movie creates a desire in me to develop my character to the point that I will be just as selfless, loyal, and loving as the husband. To the point of willingly giving my life or rather living my life for my wife when we are old. Dying for her would actually be easier than standing by and being with her as her earthly coil fails. I pray that as men we would develop the courage and character required to stay an live a life of self sacrifice if/when it is demanded of us.
So as unmanly as it may sound I really enjoyed that movie and would watch it again.
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