Within moments, I was connected to their story…Two people who wanted nothing more than a child to love….Two people who were on the brink of giving up all hope and preparing to move on….I’ve been there. As I watched Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner) cry in the nursery of the child she would not have, I felt her sadness, because it was mine too. After the loss of our third child, my husband and I struggled to become pregnant again. Like the Greens, my husband and I daydreamed about what our baby would be like….the baby we were certain we’d never get.
Imagine the joy we felt when little Harrison joined our family. He was and is…..amazing….pure joy….We felt complete. So, as I watched Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) hold the unexpected gift of little Timothy for the first time, I felt what he was feeling….that overwhelming amount of crazy love we have for our children…the hopes and dreams we have for them…waking up every day not really knowing what we’re doing, but doing our best for the kids we love more than life….the absolute gift of parenthood.
As I watched more of the film, “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” unfold, I felt as if I was watching so much more than just a movie….
As I sat in the theater, I saw who I wanted to be…..I saw the mom my kids deserve….I saw the mistakes I’ve made, and the changes I want to make.I saw the type of child I want to raise, and the parent I want to be. In the movie, Cindy Green has a sister that is “that mom”…you know, the one who likes to go on and on about her perfect kids, has them signed up for six million lessons, and looks down on “regular” kids. I don’t want to be that mom. I don’t want my kids to grow up thinking that life is about “being the best.” Instead, I want to parent like the Greens…being sold-out for my kids…loving them for who THEY are, and not for who I want them to be. I want my kids to love with abandon, accept others in spite of their differences, and be calm in the face of a storm. Like Timothy (perhaps one of the most lovable on-screen characters of all time), I want my kids to recognize that true living is not a pursuit for self….REAL living….that’s for others. Timothy GAVE. His life was for others….bringing joy, restoring confidence, giving hope…THAT is the kind of child I want to raise.
I urge ALL parents to go and see The Odd Life of Timothy Green. This incredible film hits theaters TOMORROW! Watch it…take it all in…and decide, who do you want your child to be?
