I recently watched the Academy award winning movie Hugo. I liked it. A lot. Especially the words of wisdom from the young Hugo Cabret that went like this:
"I'd imagine the whole world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason."I'm not sure that I believe that the whole world is one big machine. But, like Hugo, I believe I'm here for some reason, and I'm determined to believe that I am not an extra part. Sometimes I have no idea what the reason is, and there is many a day in my life--despite all the while being grateful for the extremely fortunate situation in which I find myself--that I actually have to convince myself of the truth of words like those that Hugo spoke. I have the privilege of family and friends who help remind me that I am not an extra part. Still, I wrestle with the question, the answer, and the reason, time and time again.
Fortunately, there are many (especially children and pets, it seems) who don't seem to ever question or wonder whether or what is their purpose on this earth. Some just have a way of looking at themselves, and, thankfully, at everyone else in the world too, and just knowing and accepting, consciously or not, that "there are no extra parts."
My nieces and nephews (or, "the cousins" as they call themselves) remind me of what it's like to see the world as having "no extra parts" every year when they reunite at Loon Lake for a week in the summer. Just how long their certitude in this fact will last, I don't know. For now, though--between the ages of 6 and 9--it is so obvious that they see and live in the world, and interact with one another, in a way that demonstrates that none of them has any doubt about his or her importance, or, remarkably, even that of others. None of them seems to worry about being an extra or unecessary part. And, somehow, they seem to make the rest of us feel like we are necessary parts too.
That's especially obvious when it comes to the family's newest Loon Lake vacation tradition: the AM kickball game.
And, even in old vacation traditions like swimming, and playing, and sunning, everyone feels like an essential part . . .
Enjoying the privileges of being a grown up . . .
Being inspired by Grandpa (Johnny) who always inspires . . .
Being able to celebrate "spilt milk."
And being reminded, by the kids' annual self-authored, illustrated, and choreographed play, that . . . there are no small parts . . .
Ping pong? It's not just for Olympians . . .
Family.
Homemade pinatas . . . just as much fun as the fancy ones, or at least they should be.
Sharing. . . a lesson too quickly forgotten.
Thanks to the "cousins" for reminding us . . . there are no extra parts.
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| Maddie and Emma |
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| Maya and Ian |
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| Jenna and Jake |
I anticipate that someday, perhaps even sooner rather than later, each of "the cousins," will find himself and herself feeling like an "extra part," or wondering what purpose he or she has in life. That's not a bad thing. I think it's part of being human. My hope is that as each of us ponder the question, we come to the same conclusion as Hugo Cabret: There are no extra parts. We are all here for a reason. Now, to figure out just what that reason is . . . and how to make a difference.
One thing I know for sure: each of the people featured in this entry have made my life a whole lot better than it would have been without them. In some way, they have taught me something, made me feel more deeply, laugh harder, or love more.
Til next year. God willing.
