George Bailey is the mature and levelheaded son of the co-founder of Bailey's Savings and Loan. George longs to travel the world, have adventures, and even change the world. But events conspire against him. Instead of leaving the two-bit town, he has to stay behind and save his father's business after his father dies.

George's life is full of little things going wrong. As a child his brother falls into an icy pond, and George loses his hearing in one ear as a result of saving him. He has a run-in with the local pharmacist because he doesn't deliver some medication. As it turns out George actually saves the pharmacist from handing out poison because he was distraught over his son's death. As an adult, rather than following his dream, he helps the poor in town achieve the dream of home-ownership by providing low cost loans. Through it all, he does battle countless times with the town villain Mr. Potter, who is just money hungry and will crush anyone for his own gain.

George's life comes crashing down around him when a bundle of money is lost, just as the bank examiner shows up for an audit. George believes he is better off dead than alive and wishes to die. An angel shows George how many lives he has touched and just how wonderful his life has been. Because George Bailey lived -- hundreds of thousands of lives were saved, enriched, and just plain made better.

OK - I can hear you saying this is just a sappy tail of Christmas Cheer. But think about it for a minute. Take just one example from the movie... George's brother almost drowned in a frozen pond, but George pulled him to safety. When the brother grew up, he shot down a Japanese war plan that was trying to sink a battle ship. If George's brother had drowned all the men on the battle ship would have been killed. Far fetched you say? Maybe... maybe, not!

For the sake of argument, let's not be so grandiose... have you ever said a kind word to someone that put them in a better mood? Maybe by being in a better mood they were able to accomplish something good that day? Maybe you just made them feel better. My point is, that you never know how your actions are going to ripple through the rest of the world. What might seem like a simple gesture may have a profound effect on someone's life.

I have always tried to live by this premise. In today's scary world, I believe it's important not to lose site of the way we all interact with each other and the impact we can have on one and another. This movie is a good touchstone for discussions older children. It can open up the discussion regarding the choices they make when dealing with others.

Some may think that It's a Wonderful Life is just some corny Christmas movie -- but I say it's a road map for living life. I think it should be required viewing at least once a month to remind us how much impact we have on the lives of others. The only question is: Will you have the impact of Mr. Potter or the impact of George Bailey?

To Purchase:
   • It's a Wonderful Life at Amazon.com
   • It's a Wonderful Life at Amazon UK
   • It's a Wonderful Life at Amazon Canada