Clearing away the cobwebs and the sorrow...

Once upon a time, two little girls found some magic in a movie called "Annie." Just about every day, during that right-before-dinner-and-Daddy-coming-home hour we mothers love so much, these two eighteen month olds would drag out their squares and floor pillows and plop down in front of the TV to watch a little girl singing about (and overcoming) her hard-knock life. This bought their mother precious time to get dinner made and the house organized and her thoughts organized after a busy day of trying to keep these kiddos entertained. The mother quite enjoyed this updated version of the original movie, and quickly learned every note of the entire score and most of the script, and would even shed some tears from time to time when Grace lovingly reminded Annie that the sun surely would come out tomorrow.

The "Annie" phase in the household was a pleasant time for all, but soon the little girls moved on to "Tarzan," Disney princesses, Zoom, High School Musical, and Hairspray. Annie and her gang of orphans were lost in the shuffle, until one day the girls' father recorded it again, thinking someone might want to watch it sometime.That time didn't come until today, nearly nine years later, when a new little eighteen month old girl was having a rough time right before dinner. Her two big cousins, each now a wise ten years old, without the squares and thumbs, turned on their old favorite musical. She grabbed her own special blankets and found a new spot to plop down between them for a couple minutes of quiet contemplation. And just as it did almost a decade ago, "Annie" helped an energetic toddler and her caregiver (Aunt Amy this time) gather their wits about them after a long, full day.

So if you're ever stuck with a day that's gray and lonely...stick up your chin and grin and watch "Annie." Bet yer bottom dollar it'll do the trick.