“I suppose it would have been better if I’d never been born at all.”
Everyone has this thought at some point in their lives. Consumed in colossal self pity, they become blind to the impact, whatever the magnitude, they’ve bestowed on someone else’s life and how others have impacted their life. This was certainly the case for George Bailey, the protagonist in the critically acclaimed iconic Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life
This is a film that chronicles the life of George, showing him in the first hour and half or so of the film how he went from being a happy-go-lucky spirit to a suicidal manic depressant. We see Bailey’s sense of unfullfilmen in his life. With intentions of traveling the world before college, his plans are cut short when his father has a fatal stroke, leaving George to take over his father’s loan business until his brother Harry graduates high school. Upon his arrival, Harry notifies George he will be working with his fiancees father, leaving George stuck at the company. While he goes on to marry a girl from his childhood and start his own affordable housing company, he is still becoming increasingly unsatisfied with his life. He is unable to enlist in World War II due to his hearing ailment, while is brother goes on to become a war hero. The pressures of his business began to get to him as a mean spirited banker, Mr. Potter, continues to minimize George’s worth, saying, “You’re worth more dead than you are alive.” He says this when George goes to him asking for a loan when his Uncle Billy misplaces the customers money, in which he refuses and even calls the cops to report fraud on George. George has nothing left, he feels. After screaming to his family, he wandered off in s drunken state, coming up going to a bridge to kill himself. That is until an unlikely presence will come to save him
Right before he is about to jump, an old man jumps into the water, appearing to drown. George dives in to save him, only to find out his name is Clarence, George’s guardian angel. While skeptical, George is still consumed on grief to be aware of what’s in front of him. He tells Clarence he feels life would be better if he was never born, so Clarence shows him what life would be like if he never existed. His brother Harry would die, his Uncle Billy would be locked up in an insane asylum, his wife would become a lonely librarian, his mother would grow into a bitter woman and the town in which he resides would become a slum with filled with bars and strip clubs ruled of mean spirited people. George cannot fathom what he sees and tells Clarence he wants to return to his life. As he returns, those who love him dearly come to him in support for his troubles. They money is recovered, the town celebrates his return and his family rejoice to the sound of his voice. This exemplifies maybe the most powerful quote in the film said by Clarence, “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
Each life has meaning. Weather you believe that meaning comes from a higher power or that you create your own meaning, you only have one life to live. Too often people take about going back and changing what they don’t like about their lives or their past. This is nothing but insecure remorse that distracts us from the preciousness of our lives. Every experience you have in your life made you who you are today. Around this holiday season, reflect and be grateful for your life. More often than not, someone has it worse than you, yet they still find a way to be happy because they appreciate the good they do have in their lives. I’m not suggesting you settle for anything less, but when all else fails, try to look at the bright side of things instead of wallowing in regret and commiseration, just as George did when he saw just how wonderful his life is. For as Clarence said, “Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.”
Merry Christmas!
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