There is a Piece of George Bailey in All of Us

Even through hardships, it really is a wonderful life

Every Christmas season I sit down and watch the film: It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s a beloved tradition that I’ve been doing for my entire 33 years on this earth.

This film always leaves me with such nostalgia. I have fond memories of my childhood. I remember my father getting the popcorn ready and gathering in a darkened family room with the Christmas lights’ warm glow from the tree.

As the film would play, I would start to feel the weight in my eyes. I’d begin to fade. I’d try to fight off the sleepiness, but my young body wouldn’t win. I’d wake when I’d feel my father scoop me up and carry me to bed. Each morning I’d awake so disappointed that I never got to finish the film.

As I grew older, I’d finally be able to stay up late enough to finish the film. To see the life lessons learned from a frantic and desperate businessman. And the rare gift to see what life would have been like if he’d never been born.

The more life experience I gain, the more I see myself in George Bailey. In fact, there’s a little George Bailey in us all.

We all have a story.

“Maybe you were born older, George” — Peter Bailey, George’s father

I’ve had more happen to me in my three decades on earth than most people have in their entire lifetime. The scars my body, mind and soul have accumulated are a part of my story and I wear that with a badge of honor.

When I was 17-years-old, my brother committed suicide. I was always mature for my age, but his death forced me to grow up a lot faster than most young adults my age.

Before my brother died, I wanted to travel the world, much like George Bailey does. When I started working a year prior, I put away part of my paycheck for a European trip once I graduated high school.

I had planned to go away to college. I wanted to escape my small little town even more after his passing. I wanted to go to a place where no one knew my name.

While I stood at a crossroad contemplating my future and going away for school, I couldn’t help thinking about my parents. How empty the house would be for them. Watching their only surviving child leave for school did not sit well in my heart or soul. I could not leave them.

I chose to stay home and attend the local community college. I decided to embrace the small town. Their support and stories about my brother got my parents and me through our darkest days.

At 27-years-old, my husband and I booked a European cruise. Our itinerary included France, Italy, Spain and Croatia. We were covering a lot of ground. Finally, I’d get to Europe! It was going to be our last hooray trip before trying for our first child.

I threw my back out. So bad I herniated a disc and found out that my L4-L5 discs were degenerating. It was right before our trip. So we had to cancel. Frustrated, like George, I couldn’t seem to get out to do the traveling I had wanted to do.

At 29-years-old, I was pregnant with my first child and found a lump under my ear. I had surgery to remove the benign tumor nine short weeks after an emergency c-section. I battled temporary facial paralysis for fourth months.

The incision is behind my left ear and it’s still slightly numb from surgery. My version of a trick ear. Just like how George Bailey suffers hearing loss from trying to save his brother from falling through the ice.

The scars we have, visible or not, are poof of our survival. Hardship and tragedy won’t avoid us and at some point, we’ll experience it. It’s important to relish the happy moments because they’ll get us through those challenging times.

We’ve all had high hopes.

“I’m shakin’ the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I’m gonna see the world. Italy, Greece, the Parthenon, the Colosseum. Then, I’m comin’ back here to go to college and see what they know. And then I’m gonna build things. I’m gonna build airfields, I’m gonna build skyscrapers a hundred stories high, I’m gonna build bridges a mile long…” — George Bailey

Depending on your life story, we’ve all had a moment where we were blissfully ignorant of how cruel the world could be. But we’re at the point in the story where we know what we hoped would happen didn’t always come to fruition.

It’s important to look past what could have been, how specific experiences took away opportunities and look at how we’ve made something better. We saw the reality of this when George Bailey got a glimpse into the world without him.

How the tranquil Bedford Falls turned into a rough town named after the town foe. George Bailey didn’t want to stick around at the Bailey Building and Loan. But without him, many people wouldn’t have experienced the dream of owning a home. They would’ve had to live in the poor housing Potter provided.

Life can be challenging, but there are victories. It may be victories we see or don’t see. For someone out there, we’ve made a difference.

Why it really is a wonderful life.

“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” — Angel Clarence

You don’t realize the impact each life has on another until you experience it. I think about my brother’s passing. The many lives I never realized he touched until he died. And the sad reality of the hole that’s there, now that he’s gone.

If you look at our time here on earth, you’ll see the events that happen in our life have a connection. What would have happened if I went away for college? What different path would I have taken had I gone to Europe? We can’t dwell on the what-ifs.

What I know is that I stayed. And because I stayed, I met my husband. The moment I met him, I knew he was the one. Had I opted to go away for school, I would not have met him. If you remove that life event, then the happiest moments of my life might not have happened.

Our life can have many versions. The reality is no matter the good or the bad occurrences; it leads us to where we’re supposed to be. Look at the timeline of your life events and see the good that something terrible may have brought you. It’s proof that it really is a wonderful life.

About the Author

Sarah Seweryniak was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. Sarah’s writing career has spanned over a decade, writing for local newspapers and online publications. She loves writing pieces that connect, inform, and inspire. In her downtime, she loves spending time with her husband and daughter. Subscribe to her e-mail list by clicking here.