Navigating The Heart Movie Review

The movie Navigating The Heart starring Jaclyn Smith and Tim Matheson was actually released in 2000.  However, I only discovered it this week.   I love it when I find two of my favorite actors in a old movie that I have never seen before.  I know I am guaranteed a wonderful movie experience.  I was certainly not disappointed with this one. 

Navigating The Heart is a great romantic movie where two people from completely different backgrounds fall in love.  What makes this movie even better is that it is based on a true story.   The book entitled "Fishing with John" was written by Edith Iglauer, the main female character in the story.  She tells the story of their love and sadly brief life together in this bestselling memoir.   The movie only captures the story of how they met and fell in love.  For the details of their subsequent life on the boat, you would need to read the book.

To be completely honest, if it were not based on a true story I would have a hard time believing a beautiful, sophisticated city woman would fall in love with a small town fisherman.  Normally, we would have to suspend reality to embrace this story, but not with Edith Iglauer (Jaclyn Smith) and John Daly (Tim Matheson).

Navigating The Heart Synopsis

Edith Iglauer  is a somewhat arrogant, although justifiably so, writer for Manhattan magazine, which has just been taken over by a new owner with very different ideas about how a magazine should run.  Previously the "literary journalists" were allowed to choose their own article subjects.  Now, they will be assigned.  

This decision to assign subjects and articles burns right to the core of Edith's literary heart.  She is not happy about the idea and doesn't hesitate to express her opinion.  She feels her 15 years of dedication, as well as her contribution to the popularity of Manhattan magazine, should be rewarded and praised.  It is beneath her to be treated like an upstart that needs to be spoon-fed or assigned specific boring subjects to cover.  

 

Her first assignment is to write a piece about the excessive price of salmon.  Needless to say, Edith is outraged at the idea.  After all, her expertise is in covering politics.  Interestingly enough, when she investigates the industry for her assignment, she does find a huge political influence.  But she doesn't know that will be the case as she reluctantly heads to British Columbia, Canada to get background for her article.

I had to laugh out loud when Edith arrived at the fishing pier dressed for the office, wearing toeless heels and pulling her luggage on wheels.  It really is the perfect illustration of how out of place she was in a fishing town.

After learning that John Daly is the best source of information for her article, Edith asks a local female fisherman to take her out to John's boat.  He is no happier to see her there than she was to have been assigned the article.  However, after some persuasion, he allows her onto his boat and proceeds with the business of catching, cleaning and icing fish.  Needless to say, Edith is sickened by what she sees and smells.  Again, I had to laugh when she quoted Mark Twain, "fishing is a jerk at one end of the line waiting for a jerk at the other end".

Determined to write a story and not be beaten by this assignment, Edith ends up back on a John Daly's boat in spite of how much she really dislikes him.  At constant odds with each other, while exchanging hateful barbs, Edith makes bad matters worse by accidentally starting a fire on the stove.  Later that night, in the midst of a storm, they hit a log and the boat starts taking on water.  Declaring "mayday" and requesting assistance, John does his best to seal of up holes, and then they wait.  Ironically, it is during that time of waiting for help, possibly facing death, that they talk and a friendship is forged. 

Edith does write her story, but her whole life is changed after visiting BC, Canada, where she finds so much more than just content for a story.

Watch Navigating the Heart or Read the Book

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At Home in Mitford - Hallmark Movie Review

At Home in Mitford is a sweet, romantic movie based on the novel by Jan Karon.  I read the book several years ago and was quite delighted when I found that the Hallmark Channel had released the movie.   I always trust Hallmark movies to be appropriate for family viewing.  Since I knew the plot of the book, I anticipated an excellent movie.  I was not disappointed!   It was truly an enjoyable way to spend my Sunday afternoon.

Jan Karon's books are easy reads which may well explain why they are so popular and why she is on the New York Time's bestselling author list.  At Home in Mitford is the first book in the Mitford series.

The Mitford book series is absolutely perfect for a Hallmark movie.   

At Home in Mitford Movie & Book Plot

 At Home In MitfordCheck PriceMitford is a fictional town set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  It resembles hundreds of small towns in America where people live slower paced lives, plant backyard gardens and look out for each other.  

Andie MacDowell plays the part of Cynthia Coppersmith, a burnt out, uninspired, recently divorced children's book author who returns to her childhood refuge in Mitford.  Even though her uncle has died, he left his home to Cynthia and she desperately needs the solace of his safe-haven.  With her book deadline approaching, Cynthia and her cat, Violet, take off for Mitford and hopefully renewed inspiration.

As the new woman in town, Cynthia immediately starts attracting attention from the bachelors, but she isn't looking for a relationship.  When the realtor asks her to dinner, at first she declines his offer, but eventually reconsiders.  

Father Tim is her next door neighbor who has recently adopted a big dog that can't be held by mere fences.  Therefore, Father Tim and Barnabas also burst unexpectedly into Cynthia's life.  Father Tim, an Episcopal priest and Cynthia quickly become friends in spite of her original anger over being disturbed and having a portion of her fence knocked down. 

I'm not going to tell you which bachelor Cynthia selects.  To find that out, you will have to watch the movie.   But, what I will tell you is that At Home in Mitford is a delightful movie (and book) about a woman who finally finds where she truly belongs.

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An Hour Behind Movie Review

What do you get when you combine a blind date breakfast, daylight savings time and a fried cell phone?   Would you believe, Romance! 

An Hour Behind is a wonderfully romantic movie that you absolutely must see.  While the ending may seem somewhat predictable, getting there is all the fun in this movie.  It is a very enjoyable way to spend a few hours and leaves you feeling good about the happy ending.  It might even make you view daylight savings time differently.

I can easily understand how the time change, especially "spring forward" can throw off a schedule.  I have certainly had it happen to me and I suspect just about everyone hates the changing of the clocks as much as I do.  Even if the clock, or cell phone, by my bed is correct, I inevitably glance at the clock in my kitchen and think it is an hour earlier than it really is.  My whole day is messed up.  My body doesn't even seem to know when it is the right time to eat or go back to sleep for that matter.  Suffice it to say, daylight savings time is an automatic setup for mistakes and mishaps.  It is the perfect premise for a romantic, serendipitous encounter. 

An Hour Behind Movie Synopsis

 An Hour BehindCheck PriceAfter a long day at work, Trish (Emily Rose) plugs in her cell phone, grabs a glass of water, a good book and settles into bed for the night.  Without realizing it, she accidentally turns over the glass of water and fries her electrical outlet and cell phone.  When she wakes up in the morning, she discovers her useless cell phone.  However, one glance at her watch reassures her that she can still make it for her blind date breakfast even though she will be a few minutes late.

When she arrives at the restaurant, she immediately spots the man in the green shirt sitting alone and never even questions if he is who she thinks he is.  

Although Parker (Barry Watson) isn't sure what is happening at first, he finds himself intrigued, if not mesmerized by his pretty, unexpected breakfast partner and her choice of food.  It isn't immediately clear why her breakfast selection befuddles him, but that is explained later in the movie.  At first, he does try to tell her that he is not Adam, the man she is clearly there to meet, but he is interrupted.  As the morning progresses, his desire to reveal to her that he is not the man she was supposed to meet is overridden by his desire to spend more time with her.  They end up spending the entire day together.  However, Parker never found an easy way that day to tell Trish that he is not Adam.   Unfortunately, when her sister, instigator of the blind date, wants to know why Trish stood Adam up for their breakfast date, the mistaken identity becomes evident and Trish is angry that Parker didn't tell her the truth.  When he drops by her bakery, the confrontation is not pretty and she refuses to serve him.

A few days later, Trish finally meets the real Adam and they start seeing each other on a regular basis.   However, Parker still isn't ready to let their interactions end.

The Cast of An Hour Behind

As always, the actors cast in the roles make all the difference.  Emily Rose and Barry Watson seem ideal together.  Their personalities just seem to mesh.  She is confident, outgoing and easy to talk to.  He is also easy going and comfortable to be around.  Their conversations and interactions just seem to naturally flow.  

Because they are both so adorable, it is a wee bit stressful to watch them when they are at odds with each other.  You really just want them both to be happy. 

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Lark Rise To Candleford Review

Take a trip into 19th century Oxfordshire, England as its' residents battle the economics, challenges, changes and the rural landscape in this pivotal time in rural England.The Lark Rise to Candleford series is based on the semi-autobiographical novels by Flora Thompson and reminds us how difficult daily life can be in that era, but as always the human spirit prevails through challenges, heartbreaks and triumphs.

This series is uplifting, realistic, charming, entertaining, visually stunning. You will care about the characters and rejoice with their successes and tear with the heartbreaks. Some of the best shows on television have been momentarily forgotten and archived. This television series deserves a search through the television archives with the reward of an endearing series families can watch together and thoroughly enjoy.

Fans Of The BBC

If you are a fan of the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) historical drama then Lark Rise to Candleford is for you. This is a character driven series in which the characters are fully developed along with the depiction of Oxfordshire and its' surrounding communities.

Long before Downton Abbey captured a new generation of BBC fans the BBC has offered quality television dramas along with the classic Masterpiece Series. It is definitely worth a look through the archives of  BBC series and you will find many hidden treasures perfect to stream or purchase for todays' binge viewers. 

Lark Rise to Candleford Book

Many fans of the Lark Rise to Candleford television series found themselves so enthralled they were propelled to seek out the original book by Flora Thompson. Lark Rise To Candleford is a trilogy published in 1945 comprised of the books: "Lark Rise", "Over To Candleford" and "Candleford Green."

The trilogy offers 556 pages of richly described landscape, English villages and countryside. The book is a wonderful way to envelope yourself into the 19th century English countryside which is so integral to the television series. 

I highly recommend the Lark Rise To Candleford: Complete Collection and here are a few of my BBC hidden treasures perfect to curl up on the couch and enjoy!

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The Choice by Nicholas Sparks Movie Review

Travis Parker summed up The Choice perfectly at the very beginning when he said, "little seemingly insignificant decisions that clear the road for monster truck life altering ones.  Every breathe you take leads to another choice.  Some choices change everything".

Like any real relationship in life, Travis (Benjamin Walker) and Gabby (Teresa Palmer) are constantly making choices that will either lead them toward each other or away from each other.  And just like life, those choices are not always easy choices to make.  Perhaps, it is because we can all identify with the characters in this movie that make it one of the best romantic movies to watch.  Or, perhaps it is simply because we all want to believe in the power of love.

Years ago, I watched "The Choice" for the first time and thought it was a fabulous movie.  However, I had forgotten how much I loved the movie until last Sunday when I was searching for a romantic movie to watch.  I found it in the list of movies that are now available to watch on Amazon.  So, I immediately hit "play". Once again, I was pulled into the lives of characters that were so well developed that I felt like I actually knew them as friends or family members.

The Choice Movie Synopsis

Travis is a fun loving, womanizing bachelor who clearly has his choice of women in his small coastal hometown.  However, his new neighbor, Gabby, seems to only be annoyed by Travis and his lifestyle.  His loud music, partying, lackadaisical attitude, flirting, and his dog, agitate Gabby to no end.  Plus, the noise disrupts the quiet she needs to study for her medical board exams.  
 The Choice [Prime Video, DVD, Blu-ray]Check Price
With each meeting and interaction, the very serious Gabby becomes even more exasperated by his jovial, carefree personality.  The conversations between them are actually rather funny to listen to and watch.  Travis is just trying to be friendly, but Gabby sees it as anything but kind.

Remember how the movie begins with Travis talking about "choices"?  As neighbors, every day they are each making a choice of what they think about each other.  When Gabby's boyfriend has to leave town for a few weeks and her dog has complications while delivering puppies, Gabby makes the choice to run next door to Travis for help.  Later, Travis invites her to join him and his friends on a boat ride, she makes a choice of whether to stay or to go.  She is faced with that same choice, whether to stay or to go, several times.

At this point, I want to warn you.  You should expect your heart and emotions to be twisted during this movie.  I don't often cry during movies, but like other Nicholas Sparks stories, this one had me reaching for Kleenex.  Travis is so adorable in this movie that you can't help caring about him and the choices he has to make.  It is downright gut-wrenching.  Like I said earlier, Travis and Gabby are like friends and we all hurt for them.

SPOILER ALERT - This trailer shows more than I was willing to tell. Don't watch the trailer if you plan to watch the movie. In my opinion, it shows too much and takes away from the movie.

Nicholas Sparks Movies & Books

Nicholas Sparks is an author name we all recognize. In part because several of his novels have been made into movies. But mostly because he is an excellent romance novel author. Even people who don't normally embrace romance novels and movies as their favorite genre enjoy his work. I'll never forget the first Nicholas Sparks movie that my husband and I watched together. It was, of course, The Notebook. I can honestly say, I don't know which of us was touched the most by that movie. We both loved it. 

I previously reviewed and recommended another Nicholas Sparks movie, Safe Haven,  which is another Sparks novel that delves into some extremely difficult real life situations.
You will be more than halfway through this movie before you will understand why I also recommend Dawn's review of Me Before You if you love this movie. 

For those of you who prefer books, remember The Choice was a novel before it was a movie.

 

 The Choice [DVD]Check Price The Choice by Nicholas Sparks (2015-12-22)Check Price

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Grizzly Man Movie Review

The Grizzly Man: award-winning true story.

Grizzly Man is a heart-wrenching, strange, beautiful, horrifying movie by and about Timmy Treadwell. Who is Timmy Treadwell? Director Werner Herzog attempts to show us who Treadwell was. Yes, was. Past tense.

My family members and I have seen this movie more times than we can count. We make references to it in our daily life and sometimes sing the ending song. Perhaps we are a bit strange for liking a movie this much. I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that I don't believe anyone can see this movie and not have a strong reaction.

Four Reasons to Watch Grizzly Man

It is strange. Who would want to live in the wilderness with dangerous bears for 13 summers? I do mean "with" the bears. Timmy Treadwell would. I'd love to visit and/or live in Alaska, but certainly not “with” the bears. And Timmy's passionate tirades are both moving and disturbing.


It is beautiful. Treadwell filmed the scenery and the wildlife in a way that is breathtaking. His ability to get close-ups of the Alaskan wildlife and document the gorgeous, but rugged, landscape is worth the cost of the movie alone. Grizzly Man was created posthumously - using footage from Treadwell's filming. 

It is Intimate. Treadwell's frequent and long term presence with the bears (and other Alaskan wildlife), allows him to move among them with little notice for the most part. Because of this, we are able to see the animals in a mostly undisturbed state. If you ever wanted to know what bears do naturally, this is a must-see movie. We also get a very intimate look at Treadwell through his story-telling style as well by hearing what others have to say about him.

It is about the difficulties of protecting and conserving. It is a perfect example of a rock and a hard place of conservation. There are always difficulties in the balance of protecting animals and providing for humans. It is a delicate balance that I rarely seem to find being done well. Some animal species go extinct due to human encroachment. Or at the other extreme, humans are at risk while endangered species are being protected. And misguided attempts to conserve wildlife sometimes ends up being detrimental to the very wildlife that is in the process of being protected. 

In my opinion, Treadwell's story is a beautiful and disturbing example of the difficulty of balancing the needs of humans and animals.

You can find this movie on Amazon on DVD/Blu-ray or on Amazon Video.


Warning: Those persons who have nightmares easily might not want to see this movie. I don't consider it to be visually gory. It's more of a psychological twist and the things that can be imagined that brew in your mind for awhile.

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The Open House Movie Review (2018)

If you love a horror movie, the kind that will invade your dreams with nightmares, The Open House is for you. 

I know we have readers who enjoy safely having their wits scared out of them.  To be honest, I am not that person.   But, I did watch this movie from beginning to end.  I selected The Open House myself believing it would be a great mystery movie.  I expected suspense, but I was certainly in for quite a shock.  Not to mention the days of terror filled moments that followed.   I watched it nearly a week ago, and I still can't look into a dark room without feeling the chills run down my spine.  And, don't even suggest I take a shower when I am alone in the house.  Trust me!   If my shower water suddenly turns cold, I am not going to investigate.   I am locking myself in the bathroom with all the lights on until the sun rises the next day. 

Now, I hope if you decide to watch The Open House, you will be better prepared than I was for the movie.

The Open House Movie Synopsis 

The movie begins with a happy couple and their Olympic hopeful son, Logan.  It is very clear the parents support their only child's dream.  However, the movie turns tragic when Logan's father is hit by a car when he is crossing the street.  Logan helplessly witnesses his father's death. Those are images that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Logan and his mother, Naomi,  find themselves thrown into a desperate financial situation.  They are forced to move from their home.  It seems fortunate that Naomi's sister has a furnished house in the mountains that is for sale.  She offers to let them stay there for free noting that the mansion is better lived in than left vacant and they can look after the house for her.  The only consideration is that she needs them to vacate the house every Sunday so the real estate agent can host an open house.  A mere inconvenience when you get to live free right?  I am certain Naomi and Logan would never have considered moving into that house, whether it was free or not, if they had any idea what would happen to them there.

Who checks the house carefully after an open house?  Do you believe the realtor has kept a close eye on everyone who visits your home during an open house?  I would certainly hope so.  But, what if there are several people visiting the open house?  Or, if someone comes through the back door instead of the front door and the realtor never even sees them?  What if you are not really familiar with the house yourself?  Would you feel comfortable laying down to sleep in an unfamiliar home after an open house?  I admit, I never really thought about it before.  We see open house signs in surrounding neighborhoods weekly.  It is a commonplace event.

One thing that is now for sure, if I ever decide to sell our house, we will NOT host an open house! 

Where to Watch The Open House (2018) by Netflix 

Currently, the movie is only available on Netflix.   A subscription to Netflix is required to view their movies.  Normally, Netflix will make their movies available to purchase on DVD after a year or two.  Unfortunately, when I checked recently (Sept 2021), The Open House is still not available on DVD.      

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The Santa Clause Movie Collection Review

A few days ago, I was looking for a movie to watch so I could take a break from work.  I wanted a movie that would be easy to watch.  Not one that required a lot of thought or emotional investment.   Comedy preferred.  After scrolling past dozens of Christmas movies, my husband recommended "The Santa Clause".   My first reaction was negative simply because I am not really a big Santa fan, however I am a Tim Allen fan.  Since nothing else appealed, I thought why not!  It turned out to be a really good choice and I ended up watching all 3 movies in the Santa Clause collection.  The movies were lighthearted and funny.  Perhaps, even enchanting and magical.  That was the perfect combination for my movie day. 

Tim Allen never ceases to entertain!  I highly recommend spending a day in his company and watching Tim magically become Santa.

Plot of The Santa Clause Movies

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a divorced father who spends most of his life working. He is pressed for time as he is rushing home on Christmas Eve to meet his ex-wife who is dropping their son off to spend the night. As was obviously the norm during their marriage, Scott and his wife's conversation turned into an argument when Scott discovered his ex-wife and husband told his son, Charlie, that Santa was a myth.  He felt that was a decision that he should have been consulted about beforehand and not just informed of after the fact.

 The Santa Clause DVD
(Full Screen Special Edition) Scott wishes to make his son's Christmas Eve perfect.  He tried to make the perfect dinner, but burned the turkey.  They ended up having to eat dinner at a restaurant.  He read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to his son, but Charley fall asleep while he was reading, or at least it appeared he was asleep.

After Scott had gone to bed himself, Charley heard a noise on the roof and ran to his father's bedroom.  Scott immediately ran outside without getting dressed to investigate and saw Santa on his roof.  He yelled up at the man on his roof and startled him so bad that Santa fell off and onto the snow covered ground in front of him.  Searching him for identification, Scott found a business card inside the coat that simply identified the man as Santa Claus.

When Charley came running out, he saw the reindeer on the roof and wanted to climb the ladder that mysteriously appeared.  Of course, Scott followed, but he was freezing.  When he looked back at the spot where Santa had landed, the man had disappeared but his clothes were still laying there on the ground.  He grabbed the suit and started up the ladder.

Charley and Scott climbed into the sleigh and at Charley's insistence, Scott put on the Santa outfit.  The reindeer took off!  They delivered gifts miraculously appeared in the Santa bag at each house where the reindeer stopped.  Then, Scott said "let's go home" and the reindeer took them to the North Pole.  It was there that he discovered that by putting on the Santa coat, he had agreed to become Santa as stated on the card inside the Santa suit.  Of course, as with many legally binding contracts, the clause was written so small on the card, that Scott could not read it without a huge magnifying glass.  They were "returned" home the next morning, but Scott immediately started noticing a difference in his appearance.  He gained a lot of weight and even after he had shaved, a beard would immediately start growing back.  He was becoming Santa whether it wanted it or not.

The ending was expected, but still cute.  The story was fun and easy to watch.  When I noted that was a "Santa Clause 2", I wanted to continue watching.

I actually liked the second movie even better.

The Santa Clause 2 Movie Plot

In this movie, Scott, who is now Santa, is informed that he must marry if he wishes to remain Santa Claus.  The story is mostly about him seeking a wife and how he met the woman who would end up becoming Mrs. Claus.  However, my favorite part of this movie had to be Comet, the reindeer.  I also liked that they included a council of other fictional characters like mother nature, father time, the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, and more.  Those characters made this movie truly delightful.

Between the dialog of the fictional figures, the animated reindeer and Tim Allen, I found myself laughing out loud several times during this movie. Plus, it is truly amazing how much Tim Allen looks like a plump, rosy cheeked Santa.

 Santa Clause 2
(Full Screen Edition)

The Santa Clause 3:  The Escape Clause Movie Plot

In this final movie, we are introduced to "Jack Frost" who wants equal status with Santa, mother nature, father time and the rest.  When Frost discovers the secret of the "escape clause" for a serving Santa, he devises a way to trick Santa into returning to his former life so Frost himself can become Santa Claus.

All of these movies were filmed and released over a decade ago, but I just discovered them.  Since I enjoyed watching them so much, I decided the collection should be reviewed and recommended to anyone else who may have missed seeing them in the past.  I can tell you based on my own experience, that even those of us who do not fully embrace Santa Claus, will still enjoy these delightful movies.

 The Santa Clause 3-Movie CollectionCheck Price The Santa ClauseCheck Price The Santa Clause 2Check Price The Santa Clause 3: The Escape ClauseCheck Price

 

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Movie Review - Wonder

If you are looking for an inspirational, feel-good movie the whole family can enjoy this holiday season, look no further than Wonder.  This film has everything that leaves a moviegoer satisfied—characters you actually care about, themes that matter, and a happy ending.  You might shed a few tears, like I did, but they will be the kind of tears that make you feel something beautiful.

Based on the runaway best-selling book by R.J. Palacio, Wonder takes us into the life and times of August Pullman, a ten-year-old boy born with the kind of severe facial deformities that cause most everyone he meets to respond to him in ways that are very painful.  The movie follows Auggie as he makes his grand entry into the public life of a fifth-grader after previously being home-schooled.  Anyone who has ever been the new kid at school will be able to relate to Auggie's experiences with bullies and the extreme distress of not fitting in.

The movie's storyline is revealed to us as the main characters take turns presenting their perspectives.  I don't always like this cinematic or literary technique, but it works well in this movie.  It is a very effective way of telling the stories within the story and it helped me form bonds with each character.  Getting to briefly run around inside the heads of the supporting characters fleshed out the movie's themes and made them multi-dimensional.

Choose Kind

We are introduced to Wonder's guiding principles through the precepts of Auggie's English teacher, Mr. Browne.  Choosing kindness, a major theme, is unveiled early in Mr. Browne's classroom via this quotation by Dr. Wayne Dyer:

"When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind."

The mark of an exceptional movie, at least for me, is what happens when I step out of the theater after the closing credits.  Last night, upon arriving home, I found myself spending hours online learning more about Treacher Collins Syndrome (Auggie's condition), the Choose Kind movement inspired by Wonder, watching video interviews with families affected by this syndrome, and reading up on how R.J. Palacio came to write Wonder.

Nurture Kindness

This movie is one that will impact me for a very long time.  As a former teen who was bullied for merely being the new kid at my middle school, I have never forgotten the misery and deep pain caused by that experience.  It shaped who I became as a teacher and continues to remind me that we each have an awesome responsibility to nurture kindness in young people.  If I leave no other legacy as a teacher and human being than that of planting seeds of kindness and compassion, I will feel as though I did something meaningful with my life.

I encourage you to take a child or grandchild to see Wonder.  My gifts to young people this Christmas will include the book Wonder, along with related journals and t-shirts that promote the Choose Kind message.  It is just one of the many ways I intend to celebrate the hope and wonder of the season.

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