I Just Forgot

I recently watched the movie "17 Again" and found myself drawing motivation from the overall message of the story. The movie used a concept similar to many other movies where the main character magically finds his or herself suddenly at a different age in life. However, "17 Again" did a pretty good job making a seemingly familiar plot become unique using a few interesting characters and comedic relief.

The entire movie is spent setting up a final scene where the main character transforms back to his original self after realizing that he was not living the way he should have been living before he had the magical transformation. He has an 'awakening' that makes him see what is truly important and decides to make the choice to live the rest of his life dedicated to his wife, children and new values. After his re-transformation and reuniting with his almost ex-wife, he apologizes for his previous behavior where he says to her, "Your the best decision I ever made... I just forgot."

In this Hollywood movie, everything seemed to work out well for the lucky character who was able to salvage his almost 'lost' life and family. However, I noticed myself wondering how often people get through their entire life without being blessed with such an 'awakening'. I also tried to imagine the horrible feeling that would accompany such an 'awakening' at a late stage in life. It is definitely something that I never want to experience....

It is reassuring to know that we all have the chance to keep that from happening. No matter what stage we are at in life, it is never too late to take a good look at our lives and find ways to concentrate more on our relationship with God and the people/things closest to our heart. With life's overwhelming nature, it is extra important to periodically take a step back and make sure we are keeping a well balanced lifestyle that aligns with our values and goals. This small effort has the potential to save us from a harsh, desperate realization of regret.

I am so grateful to have had the 'awakening' God blessed me with at this point in my life. I feel so blessed to wake up each day focused on pursuing this journey of change and look forward to continuing on this path. As I move forward, I am determined to give my all toward everyone and everything in life and under God's guidance I trust I will never have to use the excuse "I just forgot" when it comes to the people/things I love.