Have A Little Faith in We

It all started when I finished the Gilmore Girl’s series. I LOVED it…. LOVED it…. LOVED it…. yup, that much! During my contract work or laundry folding, or closet clean out – when doing life I enjoy having a series that I am really into making those mundane things about life <<enter paperwork filing>> a little more fun! The tricky part of a series is that I get really into it and long after my filing is done and my socks are matched I find myself staring at the “next episode will play soon” sign on netflix and somehow I find out what happens next…..but I don’t get those hours of sleep I need. So I was looking for a way to enjoy some entertainment that can make the tasks a little more pleasant, but not pull my attention into the wee hours of the night, solution: my favorite movies!

You know those movies you have seen a zillion times, you can recite the lines, all the characters are old friends? Sometimes you just need something to pass the time and knowing the end has nothing to do with enjoying the story. And some of those favorite movies aren’t just great for a one liner or a stellar character that beats all the odds…..but they actually can ignite something in you. This weekend’s move of choice was 13 Going on 30. Yes, the one where Jennifer Garner plays a 13 year old that in some Freaky Friday turn of events gets a sneak peak into her life as a 30 year old – yet she still is 13.

This movie of course hits all the good movie moments – a little humor, some fun clothes, hair you are jealous of, it is relatable, and holds a good life lesson. I suppose I should say, it hits all the high points for a girl movie….. my husband has a long list of classics, that are pretty spot on (it includes Wizard of Oz and Casablanca) for top films and some of my favs don’t make the cut! Even still I have to tell you – this is one of my favorites.

What if you got a chance to see yourself right where you are but through the lens of a child. In the first few scenes of this movie, Jennifer Garner is in owe of life as an adult. You know deciding when you get to go to bed, eating junk food whenever, having your own job – she is even enamored with her own bills! One night she has to go to a party for work and is over the moon at that idea of getting dressed up and heading out on the town. Then throughout the movie you see her get messy, caught in the rain, trampled by a group of dogs…. and she never flinches, instead embraces it with child like abandon and a huge smile! I won’t ruin this very important film of the ages with some of the other plot based things that I like – but I will say that the wonder and simplicity at which she approaches life, as a kid, makes you question why we are so adult all the time!

Really – getting caught in the rain would be MY NIGHTMARE. A night that I have to be out and dressed up for work sounds exhausting. Trying a new look or daring to add a little darker shade to my lips… heck no, “that just isn’t me” – and I would guess there are times in life this approach is important and being adult appropriate is important. But this movie always awakens in me the question “are all these choices really me or am I afraid to not follow the rules of being an adult?”

One of my favorite things about being 30 has been the confidence. This age has awaken a new confidence in myself that has been really exciting and made life a little more fun. I find myself questioning my motives, thoughts, and opinions a lot less – but there is still that adultness that requires me to be reasonable, responsible or find the reality factor and place its value above the fun factor. For instance – I have this new shirt that I bought over the summer for fall. I WAS dying for fall to be here in the middle of July and to start styling that puppy! Well fall is here and now I keep going to put it on but then wonder if I should wait for a more “perfect” occasion or if it is as good as I really thought it was, or if I will wear it as well as the style blogger I got it from…… But the 13 year old in me would have worn it the FIRST DAY of crisp air! Really – at 13 clothes are life and I would never have waited this long. There is something to be said for that zest, that excitement, that total abandon to live the fullest life in this moment as if it is the most important moment you will ever have….and I miss that a little bit!

Throughout this movie you will see what this sort of childlike passion and honesty can mean to your work life, home life, relationships. You find yourself smiling at the thought of being a little more direct, a little more excitable, and to enjoy the little things in life – like ordering whatever the heck you want for dinner- a little more! There was a time in all of our lives that choices were overseen by many all day long and suddenly now we are in the driver’s seat…. how quickly life can change! Yet we are distracted by the bills, by the responsibility, by the worry – that we forget the fun that comes with having your own money, time, choices. Sure we pay a huge price for them, adulthood, but we do get a lot for that price too!

So on this Sunday night as I plan my week, file my papers, I am also going to do my nails, plan my outfits and get excited that tomorrow I will wake up “thirty, flirty and thriving”… and to enjoy! Have a great week all!