For those who know me, I travel a lot. Rarely a week goes by that I’m not on a plane. My friends also know that I rarely stay awake on a flight – typically fast asleep before we leave the gate, not waking until we land. That is, until a flight home from San Francisco last week, a late night flight no less. For some reason I decided to peruse the movies and came across one called Miracles From Heaven with Jennifer Garner. It seemed to be screaming out , watch me, watch me.Have you ever seen a film where there were just not enough tissues to keep up with the tears? And how about a film that you kept thinking about and tearing up long after it was over? This was that film.
Ms. Garner does a fabulous job of playing a mom who is suddenly thrust into the role of a disAbility Mama. I felt like I could relate to almost every scene in one way or another. Especially in her role as the fighter, fighting for the right diagnosis, fighting for an appointment with the only doctor that could provide some hope of a normal life, fighting some of the stupidity out there in terms of unwanted comments and yes, fighting with herself. Fights that we as disAbility Mama’s understand all too well.
Queen Latifah has a small but important role that makes two things clear: Angels do exist and if you don’t roll with it, you get rolled on. Don’t I know that!
In one of my many keynote presentations I refer to the book most of us mamas read as a tween: Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume. I share a story about long nights caring for my daughter when her nurse didn’t show for the umpteenth time and looking up to the sky asking that very same question. Well, there’s a scene in the movie where Ms. Garner does just that. When I saw that, it was like I was in a time machine – took me right back.
Although religious and spiritual beliefs play a big part in this film, I have to say that no matter your beliefs, if you are a disAbility Mama, you’ll want to see this movie. I suspect it will move you as much as it did me. It so touched me that when I returned home, I had my husband see the movie (and of course I watched it again). Let me just say it was just as moving for him as I suspect it will be for al the disAbility Dad’s out there. Once you’ve seen it or if you have already, please let me know what you thought and #jointhemamamovement.
Nadine
