Of heroes and such <3
Happy Friday!
Yesterday afternoon Russ and I acted like we were on vacation and went to see a movie. We have heard from several that “Unsung Hero” is a must-see, so we saw.
It was very good.
If you are unfamiliar, it is the story of the Smallbone family from which we have gained the talents of many creatives, including Rebecca St. James and For King and Country. This story is about the financial demise of music promoter David Smallbone during a huge recession in Australia in the early 1990’s.
As he attempted to avoid bankruptcy, he was left with only one road out. He was to become the manager for the Christian singer, Carmen’s, tour. But when the family of eight with a little one on the way arrives in Nashville, Carmen’s manager had already hired another promoter and David was without a job.
The movie follows the family’s struggles as they attempt to pay bills and have another baby and manage the pain of loss. I appreciated the honest portrayal of David as he battled his pride and the complete dashing of his dreams.
It is a good movie and I suggest you take some Kleenex. I failed to bring any and was wiping away many a tear.
I also have gone over a lot of the movie in my mind, because if you know me, this is why my family does not particularly enjoy taking me to the theater or watching a show on the television.
I always have a lot of questions and thoughts after I watch something and one of the big ones for me was, exactly which side of the family tree do the supportive grandparents come from? Both the grandmother and grandfather of the family play a key role in the story, but I had to admit from the start I thought they were the mom’s parents.
The grandfather is played by Terry O’Quinn. If you were a fan of LOST, as I was, you will definitely remember him. I guess he has played a more diabolical role in recent entertainment venues, but for me he will always be John Locke.
Both he and the grandmother are called Dad and Mum by both of the parents. The grandparents are so loving and supportive of Helen, the mom, and the relationship is so tight that I assumed she was their daughter. Spoiler alert…at the crisis point of the film, it becomes clear that they are David’s parents.
Even with that being said, I did double check the cast this morning just to be absolutely sure it was his father and not father-in-law.
And all I can think of, is how cool is that?
How blessed in a family that it is hard to tell whose parents are whose. Sometimes genetics play a role and we can pretty much tell that someone produced one side of the parental unit, but what a precious goal.
To love so well that outsiders can’t decide which side of the tree the grandparents came from by the behavior they show towards a young couple.
I was blessed with a mother-in-law and father-in-law that loved me like their own from the go of this marriage. I was treated as a child from the beginning and I pray in my heart always to love that way forward.
Parental love like this comes with a load of responsibility.
It means praying for the spouses with the same love and concern as we pray for our blood children. It means pairing up in our minds that our child has cleaved….left us and become one with another and that one is now our child too.
It isn’t an easy love, a pretty love and sometimes, as it is portrayed in the movie, it is a misunderstood love. And this is true for all adult children, whether by blood or bond. We have to learn boundaries and patience as we discern when to speak and when to be silent.
But it is a sacred duty.
God bless you today as you mull that over. He will pour His love into us as we open our hearts to see with His eyes <3