Lessons to Be Learned from Christmas Movies

Who doesn't enjoy a good Christmas movie? Now that Halloween is over we'll be seeing more and more of our favorites on t.v. and displayed for rental at our video stores. I've already seen Miracle on 34th Street on one of the cable movie stations. We all enjoy the good will messages that they send of holiday giving. I bet that you never thought about all of the other messages that they send. Having been a huge Christmas movie fan my entire life I realized how much they have actually taught me. Here are some of those movies the life lessons they have taught me.

Let's start with Miracle on 34th Street. We all know the story about an old man who claims to be Santa and the trial of a lifetime that ensues. This movie has everyone thinking that perhaps there is a Santa. You'll find at the end that even the stone hearted realist, Doris Walker (the mother) questions her belief that Kris Kringle is just a nice, confused, old man. The lesson to be learned here is: You are never too old to start believing.

The Polar Express was a wonderful children's book and is now a wonderful Christmas movie. The obvious message is one of believing. Look deeper, however, and you can learn to keep the wonder of childhood as long as you can. It will lead you on great adventures.

Elf is another new Christmas movie that everyone loves for its comedy and the sweet innocnece of Will Ferrell's character. Get past the maple syrup on the spaghetti and Buddy's interesting decorating habits and you'll learn one of the most important life lessons. Unconditional love is the greatest thing on earth. By the end of the movie several characters have learned to put down their gaurds and just love.

One of my favorite Christmas movies is White Christmas. Many people watch this movie simply for the cast of actors. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play famous entertainers who visit their former army commanding general. They are joined by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen for a movie filled with feel good song and dance. Take a step back and look beyond these big names. The lesson to be learned here is thankfulness. Take the time to thank those people who helped to make you who you are even if it means taking time away from your busy life.

We all love a good laugh, and who can make it through National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation without laughing. This movie is both a classic comedy and a classic Christmas movie. Not many of us sit down to watch a comedy and think about coming away with a life lesson. Although this movie is filled with silliness it also leaves us with another important lesson. Your family may be the craziest people that you know, but in the end they will be the ones to stand by you when the going gets tough.

Speaking of wacky families, A Christmas Story features another zanny family just trying to make it through the holidays in one piece. The main theme in the story is Ralpie's longing for a Red Ryder BB gun and almost everyone trying to tell him that it will only shoot his eye out. This is also the center of the next life lesson. Sometimes you will want things in life that will only hurt you. Sometimes you have to figure that out on your own.

Looking at a more serious movie, A Christmas Carol is one that has been re-made several times. They all have the same basic story line and one great life lesson. No matter how bad you have been in life and how long you've lived it is never too late to make up for past mistakes.

Another, more loveable scrooge is The Grinch. I loved the animated cartoon growing up and now enjoy the movie even more. I have always thought that it was the Grinch's size and green fur that attracted Cindy Lou Who to him. The harder he tried to scare her the more she wanted to be kind to him. Cindy Lou Who can teach us alot. One kind deed can change a person's entire life.

Finally, I've saved my favorite movie of all time for last, It's A Wonderful Life. There are so many lessons to learn in this film that I can probably write an entire article about it. The one that stands out the most to me and is repeated over and over is that there are angels all around us; we just don't always see them.

This holiday season, as you sit down with a bowl of popcorn to watch your favorite Christmas movie think of all the impirtant lessons that can be learned. These movies are more than something to fill your time. They can change your life in a matter of hours.