Years ago, I went to see IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. I'd seen the movie dozens of times, but never in the theater, so I was pretty excited. I got my popcorn and coke and found the perfect seat. The theater was empty when I arrived, but just before the movie started, a family of around 30 people came in.
We all sat together in the darkness of the theater laughing and crying. It was a great experience, the kind you can only get from a great movie with a great audience - that feeling that a whole group is experiencing a story together, and the story is touching them.
When the movie ended, I got into a conversation with some of the family, which goes against my usual feelings about talking to random people in public spaces, but IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is the kind of movie that makes you appreciate others, and it hit me just right.
I learned that the older members of the family had come to the US from India. Since they came to America, they have watched IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE every Christmas Eve. They love the movie and have passed that love to their children and grandchildren.
One of the men explained to me why they love the movie so much - because when George Bailey ceases to exist, it stops snowing, but when he begs to exist again, the snow starts to fall.
The movie, the man told me, isn't just about how we affect each other, but how we affect the universe. "Without George Bailey," he explained to me, "there is no snow on Christmas Eve."
As we walked out of the theater into the cold, we saw that it was snowing. The man turned to me, smiled, and said "It's snowing. George lives."
• 100% ring-spun cotton
• Sport Grey is 90% ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester
• Dark Heather is 65% polyester, 35% cotton
• 4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center
• Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti or Guatemala
Disclaimer: Due to the fabric properties, the White color variant may appear off-white rather than bright white.
