Having family traditions is a big part of growing up. Repeating things year after year is a way to show the family how to keep traditions and memories close to their hearts. In my family, my father carries the tradition of watching the movie It's A Wonderful Life every year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. This is not just any movie. This is the movie my father raves about all year long, and the movie that has our house filled with collectors items. It's A Wonderful Life is the same movie that makes you laugh, cry, feel enlightened, and even surprisingly comforted. Now, how many movies can do that? My father’s traditions, and the lessons George Bailey learns in this movie, have taught me many important life lessons of my own.

It's A Wonderful Life is a movie that follows the life of a man named George Bailey. His goal in life is to "see the world." George's father dies, leaving him president of the family business: The Bailey Building and Loan. This is the first time George’s dreams of traveling are set aside. Soon he marries a woman named Mary Hatch. Together, they have new plans to travel the world. George's dreams crash once again when he and Mary are forced to distribute their honeymoon money to the Building and Loan investors. The third failure occurs on Christmas Eve, when George’s Uncle Billy misplaces $8000 of the company's money, putting the Bailey family reputation in jeopardy. George becomes convinced that he would be better off dead, and contemplates suicide. To stop him, an angel named Clarence visits George and grants him the wish to have never been born. Clarence leads George around the town to show him how life would have been had he never existed. George learns of the drastic changes the town has encountered and of the lives he has changed. He wishes to live again, and the wish is granted. All of the people that George had helped, in large ways and small, rally behind him. They give him money to repay the $8000 and support in his time of need. Lying on the pile of money, given by the residents of Bedford Falls, is a book. Written on the inside is a note from Clarence. It reads, “Remember George, no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings. Love Clarence”.

As George Bailey did throughout his life, many people, including myself, measure their lives based upon their failures, as opposed to their successes. One bad thing can outweigh ten good things. For example, if I were to earn ten A’s and one F, that F would be the only thing I would remember. I would see that F and look down upon my self for earning such a low grade. But what about the ten A’s? It is human nature to intensify a downfall. It's A Wonderful Life shows a distraught George Bailey remembering all the things that went wrong in his life. Never did he recognize the wonderful things he did for others. The movie is a perfect example of how I concentrate more on the things I have not achieved, than what I have.

Many times in my life I have leaned on a friend for support. Most often, the situation regards a fight or argument I had with another friend or family member. Not too long ago, I felt as though my life was falling apart. All the people I thought were my friends decided to point out my flaws, and torment me about them. The only person who defended me, and listened to my every complaint was my mother. She heard me out and gave me advice. If I started to give up, she would set me straight, and assure me that everything would be all right. George Bailey had his wife Mary to lean on for support. Any time he allowed someone to get the best of him, Mary brought him back to reality. She showed him everything his life had to offer. When things with my friends began to feel normal again, I came to realize that my mother was my friend, and because I had her, I had no reason to feel discouraged. The statement from the movie that declares, “No man is a failure who has friends,” teaches me that no matter what faults I have, or who recognizes them, I am not a failure. I have other friends who will love me for who I am, and not put me down for the things I do wrong.

George Bailey represented a company that loaned money to ordinary people in order for them to afford a decent home. That was a remarkable accomplishment. Still, George didn’t see himself as doing something special. Little did he know, he was making an enormous impact on the people of Bedford Falls. I too have a job that affects the community. I work in a grocery store in one of the poorest areas of town. Half the people I assist are daily customers that come to our store only to converse with others. They are lonely and want human interaction. The friendliness I display toward them, and the simple phrase, “Have a great night!” makes them feel noticed. If I, or another service worker, were not around to tell them to have a nice day, and truly mean it, their life would be completely different. It’s hard to imagine the things I have done for people. I am only a teenager. How much affect can I have on a single person? In the movie It's A Wonderful Life, Clarence says, “Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” That quote teaches me how important my life is. It explains to me the impacts I make on other people. By watching this movie, and seeing the services George Bailey performed for the people of Bedford Falls, I realize that maybe I give myself too little credit for the acts I perform for others.

After watching this movie so many times in my life, I can honestly say that it brings me happiness every time I see it. From this movie I learned two very important life lessons. One being that no one can be considered a failure if they still have friends. The second being that everyone, no matter who they are, has made an impact on the lives of others, and if they had never existed, these peoples’ lives would be drastically different. This tradition that my father has instilled in my family, has held strong since I was a young child. When I was little, I thought daddy liked It's A Wonderful Life “just because,” and that everything he was trying to explain to me was confusing. It was only a few years ago that I learned the real reason of my father’s tradition. He too relates to the movie, and these lessons also mean something to him. His tradition has allowed me to grow up with the movie It's A Wonderful Life, and understand the messages it holds.