A Little Gem

It's funny how even cheesy, melodramatic, poorly-written t.v. movies (I'm looking at you, Lifetime and Hallmark channel) can still contain a writing "gem" in them. A truth or a bit of unexpected poetry in the dialogue. I admit it--I do watch said cheesy films, and when I do, I always look for that gem.

I found one yesterday, while watching the latest in uber-predictable Hallmark movies. It's called "Recipe for Romance." In one scene, a little girl (exceptional actress!) was telling her father how much she misses her deceased mother. How she can no longer "hear her voice," telling her what to do, guiding her.

And that's so true in real life -- when we lose someone, either by break-up or by death, often, over time, we "forget" the details of their smile, the timber of their voice. Those details are lost to us, and it seems almost cruel. Like we're losing them a little bit each day.

But in that same scene, the father explains to his daughter why this happens. This isn't some enormous revelation, but I do think he's spot-on, and I liked the wording of it:

He tells her, "That's what happens when you lose someone you love--it's your mind's way of protecting you, making you forget a little bit, so that your heart doesn't keep on breaking."

A lovely way to think about it--the loss of those details isn't cruel. It's actually salvation. Protection, to ease our pain.

Yay, for some depth in a Hallmark movie! ;-)