It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life is on right now, so the holidays must be around the corner!  This movie has a special place in my heart and I've been waiting to see it pop up on one of our three channels.  I saw it for the first time as a freshman in college with my buddy and dorm next-door neighbor, Monica.  It was the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, and we had a heart-to-heart after watching the movie about our futures and how we both wanted to make a difference in the world.  (You know, idealistic young folks' talk.)  Monica was feeling conflicted about her choice of college major and wondering if she should change to something more altrustic and socially-oriented.  She wanted to change the world, simply put. 

I drove home for Thanksgiving the next day and received a phone call that night that Monica had died instantly in a bad car crash on her way home for the holiday.  Unfortunately her family did not not get to see her before the accident happened.  :( 

Every time I see It's a Wonderful Life, I think of Monica and the happiness she brought me for the short time I knew her.  I think of the timeliness of our viewing of the film the night before she died, and even more so, the conversation that followed about the little things we can do in our lives to improve the world around us.  Even though her time here was short, she was a great person who touched everyone she knew.