Movie Night
“Good news, kids! It’s movie night!!”
I always love movie night at home with Harrison and Olivia. We make popcorn on the stovetop, pour sodas and sports drinks over ice, grab a bag of sweets, and load it all onto a tray with our special old-fashioned red-and-white striped individual popcorn containers. We spread two blankets over our three laps and feel festive before we even hit “play” on the DVD player.
So I was a little taken aback when, after my announcement, Harrison and Olivia sighed in unison and say, “Oh, no.”
”What? What is it?”
They exchanged knowing glances. ”Is it an inspirational movie?” Olivia shook her head.
I flinched. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Is there a stray dog in it?” Harrison asked.
“Or a thinking-out-loud cat?”
“Or a girl that bonds with a horse?”
“Is there an overage or underdog athlete?”
“Or a coach that is changed by a bunch of kids?”
I tried to cover the fact that I was flustered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know what we’re talking about! Please, mom – no more inspirational films!!”
I couldn’t believe that after all these years, Harrison and Olivia finally figured out my hidden agenda in movie night. Apparently the popcorn and treats didn’t cover it up anymore. My kids knew me. I’m an inspiration junkie.
My google homepage is littered with motivational quotes. I love them so much that I’m compelled to cut and past them onto my Facebook wall. I love an uplifting conversation with a girlfriend, my sister, my brother or my mom. I read biographies because other people’s lives inspire me, and I was motivated to write one myself. I’ve been known to watch snippets of inspirational DVD’s while I get ready for the day, and my CD stacker in the car is loaded with books on tape that make the day seem a little brighter. It’s always been this way, evidenced by the fact that Tony Robbins was my idol when I was a child.
But I didn’t have time to defend myself. There was movie night at stake, and I had a daunting task at hand: how to sell my kids into watching a movie about a professional basketball player who is court-ordered to coach a kids’ hopelessly losing team. I think I saw a kitten on the DVD cover, too.
“Is this film inspirational? Just tell us now.”
“I think it’s more of an urban film. About a bunch of school kids. Looks fun!”
As we carried our tray downstairs, and cheered and cried our way through the night, I smiled. Who doesn’t like a little inspiration?
Tags: inspiriation, mothers, movie
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