Happy New Year!
Charles is not only a “dog” person but very much a “horse” person too. He has pretty much gotten me hooked on horses as well with stories of his childhood when he rode horses on a regular basis in Kewanee where his grandparents lived. In case you are not as familiar with the highway between here and Birmingham as we are…well Kewanee is east of Meridian.
When we were first dating, one of the first movies he wanted me to see was Seabiscuit. I highly recommend it – with Kleenex, of course. But then he educated me on the history of horse racing in America and taught me about the Triple Crown and more. We even went both to Keeneland once and then to Churchill Downs to watch the races, never betting but enjoying the spirit and the beauty of the horses. When Secretariat was released last year, we were probably among the first in line at the theatre, and we were not disappointed. There are just some things that are not easy to wrap your head around, and when certain animals display such heart and soul and ability to understand as some do…well, like our former minister Derek Thomas, I’m believing there are dogs…and horses in heaven.
But I honestly have to say that War Horse, which we saw yesterday, is my favorite horse story yet. I told Charles after it was over that I would probably want to discuss everything about the story, the relationships, the symbolism, the themes…for days…and I am sure I will.
This afternoon as I looked over reviews on line, I am amazed at those who criticize a movie for its “sentimentality” and “sweetness.” Sure, I began to sniffle in the first thirty minutes, but I also cried a few of those “cleansing” kind tears that we cry when we know we’ve been in the presence of something really really good and I’m not sure if we cry because we are inspired to do better or because we wish we had never done bad!
The love, sacrifice, honor, respect between man and man, man and wife, father and son, man and horse, horse and man…there was so much here that stirred a reminder deep inside me of what IS true, honorable, good, courageous, honorable, pure and kind. And in the middle of all the World War I battle scenes that felt utterly dark and hopeless and very sad…redemption came and good trumped evil.
A lot to think about and a good thought for this New Year!