A few weeks ago I watched Little Women for the first time (late to the party, I know!), the one with Saoirse Ronan, Timotheé Chalamet, and Emma Watson. I thought it would be a casual movie I would enjoy, but the more I watched, the more I felt enveloped by the story, its characters, and the meaning of everything.
One of the biggest takeaways I found from this story is that there was not really a happy ending. Jo didn't end up with Laurie. Beth died. Amy was the second choice and never lived her dream. Meg had a very strained financial relationship.
My point is that, just like in real life, there is not always a happy ending. Your life is the one that was dealt to you from the pile, and you just have to make it work. You make it work because you have to. You make it work because you have no other choice. You survive, and carry on.
Jo had this aura of independence and strength, but at the end of the day she felt alone and wanted to feel love. Unexpected from her character. Amy went to Europe to become a famous painter, but her dream did not work out.
Surprises, good and bad, happen all the time in life. Adapting is what you have to learn to do. The March sisters had to adapt when their sister passed, and although it was sad, they had to carry on.
A life lesson I took away from this was sometimes things do not play out the way you expect them to, no matter how badly you want them to. A sad truth.
This was a bit sad, because it applies to everyday life: not getting the job you planned for, not being with the one you thought you'd be with forever, not living up to basic expectations you have for yourself.
Despite this all, Little Women did shine hope though.
There was a happy ending. Jo turned Aunt March's house into a school and published a very good book. Amy married the one she has always loved. Beth's spirit lived on in music and within the love all the sisters had for each other. Despite Meg's struggles, she was happy to be going through them with the person she loved. At the end of the story, everyone ended up right where it was best for them.
And at the end of the day, everyone will end up right where I'm supposed to be, no matter how many hardships they'll go through.
Little Women gives that little reminder, the little glimmer of hope that changes one's perspective. Everything is going to be okay. :)
