Life Too Short-AND-Life Too Long
My sister and I rarely agree on movies; as in whether or not they’re, you know, good. I was reminded of this as we were walking on Miami Beach in search of a cold diet coke. Not pepsi, not tap, but an actual diet coke. I found one at the busiest Walgreens on the face of the planet and it cost $1.99.
For 8 ounces.
Anyway, the movies. I mention that I had recently been to see Hope Springs. She cuts me off and says, “Oh my gosh, that was so funny.”
I don’t know why this surprises me. Four Weddings and a Funeral is in her top ten of all time. Also not funny.
Hope Springs was a lie. It was Hope Done Sprung. Hope is Dead. There. Is. No. Hope.
I have no idea why I thought seeing this movie would be a good idea. In terms of judgment it ranks right up there with taking Tiger to the nursing home. But then again, it’s not really my fault. They lied right there in the title.
But as always, there was one line that stuck with me. One line that keeps resounding in my head. Meryl Streep’s character says to a friend, “I think I would feel less lonely if I were actually alone.”
And that, I get.
A friend of mine once said that while people always say life is too short; the real issue is that sometimes; sometimes life is too long. And watching Hope Springs reminded me of that.
Sometimes one more day of living a lie is life too long. The scriptures, though, talk about how fleeting life is and we whither as the grass and how many times, especially as parents, do we lament on how fast it all goes and I was having a hard time reconciling the life is too long; life is too short and then I remembered what my friend Jodi always says.
“It’s a both-and.”
Or maybe it’s a “yes-and.” I always forget.
She’s a lot smarter than I and by smarter I mean wise and thoughtful and deep and caring and she has walked right beside me from day one and she has faithfully lived out Galations 6:2 and she has carried my burdens.
Anyway, it’s a yes-and. Yes, life is too short, AND it’s too long.
This is not, “life is too short, life is too long so let’s all go looking for some greener grass.” Grass is green where you water it and speaking of, I’m about to quit watering mine because it took 7 people and three mowers (two of which are now broken) to finish my yard. My, “I am woman, hear me roar” has it’s limits and not to set women back 50 years, but there are just some things we shouldn’t have to do and mowing is one of them.
I also don’t like putting gas in my car. I’m just sayin’.
No, this is not about greener grass. This is about yes-and. This is about both-and. This is about life too short AND life too long and about HOPE that actually springs.
And this morning, as I rejoice in my children and look forward to a weekend of sleepovers and birthday parties; dinner with friends and time with the Lord and yes, this morning as I give thanks for all that is good, I know that yes, Hope really springs.
Disclaimers:
1. My sister paid for the diet coke.
2. My mother paid for Hope Springs (although I don’t think she knows that).
2. Coulter is the one having the sleepover. Just thought I should clarify. 🙂
Raising Magnolias 