The Pursuit of Happyness

My colleague Jana, was carrying a DVD yesterday when I asked her what movie it was. It's The Pursuit of Happyness, and she told me she's going to return the DVD to our fellow QE Doi. I asked Doi if I could borrow the DVD, and she said "yes".

So when I went home last night with the DVD in hand. My kids greeted me with the usual shrieks and squeals. Borjie , the couch potato grabbed, the DVD from my hand, then realizing it's not his genre, handed it back to me.

I told the kids that it's mommy's turn to watch DVD tonight. I gave them their books to keep them busy while I turned the computer on, put on my glasses, got me Oreo cookies and started watching.

This movie is about a man named Chris Gardner, played by Will Smith, and it tells of the story of his life and his pursuit to the elusive word "happiness".

It began with a narration of facts about his life, what he does for a living, how much he needs to make to get them by, among others. It tells of the hardships that he had to go through, the rejection and abandonment (including his wife's) that he had to overcome. It tells of the part of his life when he was at his lowest low, nowhere to sleep, no where to go, with a 5 year-old kid in tow.

It made me aware of the reality that all of us face in our everday battle called life. For some, it's not a battle at all, but a flavor to savor. But for the majority of us, there is a part of ourselves that can relate to the hardships and adversities that Will Smith's character had to go through in the movie.

We all have to deal with bills, rental, taxes, food, clothing. We all have to deal with keeping our jobs, losing in investments, asserting ourselves to get a job, working our assess of to get ahead of others, because as everybody likes to say "it's a dog eat dog world out there".

For parents like me, we can all relate to taking care of our kids, juggling time between earning money and being there for the kids, how to properly discipline our children, and the worries of tomorrow...how are we gonna be able to support them, clothe them, send them to school, and ultimately, how we can map out a fruitful future for them.

The movie depicts the everyday battles we need to tackle, the everyday mountains and uphills we need to face, the everyday challenges we rise up to. What made the movie wonderful is that it tells of a story that the human spirit triumphs - over adversities, over hardships, over setbacks...It reminds us that the world may be cruel, but dreams do come true if you believe enough, if you work harder, and if you never let go. The human spirit triumphs over tragedies, despite the odds and ends, because of LOVE. It's what keeps us dreaming and hoping for a better tomorrow, not only for ourselves but for those we love.

The movie moved me to tears, and I believe it did the same to most of those who have watched it, because it reminds us that hope is alive, that our dreams can come true, and love can make things possible.