If you’re a compassionate person who cares about humanity, you might be in a panic right now like I am. All I can do is point you in the right direction for distraction from the dizzying reality we are about to face. While you’re contemplating the relatives and which ones you can or can’t talk with, remember that the holidays are a time for the people you love. If they don’t reciprocate, it is not your responsibility to fix them.

There will be debate if I say, ‘Best Christmas Movie.’ I am trying to avoid that. I only want you to consider the movie of my family this holiday season. The 1946 classic, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ was an illustration of the values that were instilled in me as a person from my too lucky birth to two school teachers.

The story starts out with the images of Christianity, but not with specificity. ‘God’ making a bargain with an angel short of status. I’ll play along because of how good the journey is, but this movie doesn’t really have a lot of religion in it thankfully if you just accept the angel being part of the plot. I like George Bailey, and if you don’t, you may as well stop reading, you don’t care about your neighbors.

I, like George Bailey wanted to travel to great places, not the reflexive instinct to, ‘give up’ and settle in a small town. This of course falls apart when he meets the love of his life and dances like he has no enemies. “Why don’t you kiss her instead of talking her to death!” This results in the most penthouse letters parody Hollywood could get away with in the forties. George of course does the right thing in the end.

This is where the movie takes a sharp turn, the narrative conflicts really begin, and George meets that fated angel to go through arguably the most recognizable plot device ever of showing George what Bedford Falls would look like if he had never been born.

For me, at multiple points in the movie, it’s a Mike Tyson punch to the tear ducts. I cry at a lot of good movies, doing my part to live out the Jim Valvano ESPYs speech as often as I can. You laugh, you think, you cry, that’s a full day. Have a full day this holiday season everyone.