The other night I was finally able to watch the movie “42” with my family. My whole life I’ve been a baseball fan, so naturally I’ve been looking forward to seeing this movie. I enjoyed it very much. Not just because it was about Jackie Robinson, or baseball, but because the movie taught me, and reminded me of some things.
I was first reminded of the fact that if you put your mind to something, you can do anything you want. You can set a goal and achieve it, so long as you believe in yourself. We all have ambitions. Things we want to be, or things we want to be better at. As long as we have faith in our abilities and potential, and in the fact that God will help us, we can become what we want to become. Like Jackie Robinson, there will likely be some opposition, but is there a hero you can think of that didn’t have any difficulties?
Another thing that stood out to me was Jackie’s humility. He didn’t want to be a star, or to be famous. He just wanted to provide for his family. That’s all that mattered. It is a true principle that when you put others ahead of yourself, things will work out naturally in your favor.
My favorite part of the entire movie, and thanks be to the writers, director, and whoever else was involved in such an important characteristic of this movie, was how supportive Jackie’s wife was throughout their lives. If she had not been so supportive and encouraging, cheering him on the way she did, the name Jackie Robinson would probably be meaningless, because he never would have put on a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform. Whether it be a friend, a spouse, or another family member, we need that support in our lives. I rely on my wife to be there for me when I’m feeling down, or when I’m having a hard time with school. She’s always there to comfort me and tell me that she believes in me. She is a huge motivation for me to achieve my goals in life.
Families are forever. The family is the most central and foundational unit in our society. The consequences of a lack of families is catastrophic. I felt like the family was portrayed very well in this movie. Although times have changed, and our society is not the way it was back then, there are some principles of life that are timeless. One of them is the importance of family.
Lastly, I was reminded to be proud of where I’ve come from, and to respect others and where they have come from. Before going to bed, my wife and I watched a slide show that I made for our wedding. It began with pictures from birth, and concluded with our engagement pictures. It’s hard to put into words about how I feel about where I’ve come from. All I can say is my parents raised me right, and I would not be the person I am without their loving influence. The same can be said for my wife and her family.
So shoot for the stars. Work towards your goals. Remember who you are, and where you’ve come from. You never know, even in only one person’s eyes, you could be the hero.
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the children of God.” -Romans 8:16
The Latter-day Life 