The Pursuit of Happyness

When this film came out in 2006, I remember watching it with Charles. It was so moving to me that I decided it was one that I wanted to watch every year around Thanksgiving. It's not a Thanksgiving or Christmas movie, but for some reason, this movie always helps me to gain a little perspective. It's a good reminder for me to "not sweat the petty stuff." It is SO easy for me to get stressed out over things that really don't matter. But watching this movie also helps to remind me that I have a good life and so much to be grateful for. No matter how bad my day may have seemed, someone else is always having it worse. (Not that that is comforting to me!) It's a good reminder for me to count my blessings more, shut-up about my "problems" and go help someone in REAL need.

So this was my 3rd year watching it, and I decided to allow the boys to watch it with me if they wanted. They definitely didn't understand the movie to the full extent, despite my efforts to explain a few things here and there... but there were a few parts where I think the boys did get a little bit of the message. There's this scene where Christopher (the little 5 year old) has his only toy in his hand. He loves that toy just like the boys love their bear or blanket. But he and his Dad are running to catch a bus so they can make it to the shelter on time so they'll have a place to sleep that night. As they are running, Christopher drops his toy, but they are in too much of a hurry to go back for it. He loses his toy. This and a few other parts, I think touched Jaden, and with tears in his eyes he really felt for the little boy.


After the movie was over, Jaden had a lot of questions about why some people don't have money or food or toys or moms or beds or homes. We talked about it for a little while and then I asked the boys if they could think of a way that we could help little kids like Christopher. Jaden sat and thought, while Kaleb piped up. "I know what we can do! We can give them our beds, and we can just sleep on the floor!" He was so serious when he said it, I thought it was very sweet.


Then Jaden said, "I have lots of toys. Maybe I can take out the ones that are old and broken and trash and give them to the little kids." I asked him if he thought the kids would like to have old, broken and trashy toys. He said no, and started to think again.

Then Kaleb said, "They can have some of my toys!" So we decided to go through their toys and see if there was anything that they would want to give away. I got out a small tub and we went through every single toy the boys own. I didn't push them one way or the other. If they wanted to keep it they could, if not they put it into the tub themselves. As Kaleb was going through the cars he would say, "This one I want to keep because it is special to me, but this one can go to the little boy." It really amazed me how much Kaleb understood and how willing he was to give away his toys. I had hopes that Jaden would be giving, but I didn't think Kaleb would at all. He really surprised me. That small tub became 4 trash bags full of toys. I was so proud of them. There were things they gave up that I hadn't thought they'd be ready to part from, and things that they wanted to keep that I had no idea they even cared about. They made all the decisions themselves. Sometimes Jaden would say, "I have to think about this toy some more." Then after a little while, when he was ready he would make his decision. They went through their books and stuffed animals as well. As soon as I find the right place for the boys to deliver their contributions, we will do that. I hope this is something they will do every year.


I asked Jaden if he wanted to say anything in the blog about it and this is what he said...

"People don't have much things like we have. You know why? They don't have phones, friends, stuff, toys, TV and food so they have to stay outside on a cold wintry night. I saw a movie that the people didn't have clothes, food, and he lost his favorite and only toy. He lived in a bathroom one night and on a train. He didn't have a home because his Dad didn't have enough money and his mommy too. His mommy left to go far far away to find a job. We picked out toys people might like cuz they don't have all the stuff we have. We picked out cars, food, toys and books too. It makes me feel good to help them, and it makes me sad that they don't have all the things that we have."

I also asked Kaleb what he would like to say.

"Coney on a pone."

Well, that's Kaleb for you!