Merry Christmas

There's no denying that we're fast approaching that time of year again, the smell of pine and the faint sound of bells jingling on the horizon. How do you get into the holiday mood? Decorate the tree with popcorn, bake gingerbread cookies, gift-wrap your dad's car or roast chestnuts on an open fire? Does anyone actually roast chestnuts on an open fire? Another way to get into the holiday spirit is to watch a Christmas movie. The Warsaw Community Public Library has a wonderful selection of Christmas movies to choose from. Here are some of my favorites.

"It's a Wonderful Life." Whose heart hasn’t melted as neighbors rush in to empty their pockets to help George replace the missing money from Bailey Building and Loan?

Another excellent Christmas movie is "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Who can forget the moment the Grinch realizes the true meaning of the holiday, learning that Christmas is in the heart and not in presents?

Are you in the mood for a Christmas miracle? Well, look no further "Miracle on 34th Street." Kris Kringle is in danger of being committed to an asylum because of his insistence that he is the true Santa Claus. Can Kris’ attorney save Kris and Christmas?

Good grief, who wouldn’t enjoy "A Charlie Brown Christmas"? Everyone remembers how Charlie picks out the most pathetic tree imaginable and his friends pitch in to decorate it and miraculously transform it into a beautiful sight.

The film "A Christmas Story" is everyone’s childhood wrapped into one. All Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder Carbine Action, 200-shot, Range Model Air Rifle, but his hopes of getting one dim as each adult he encounters (even Santa) tells him he’ll shoot his eye out.

Tired of all the old Christmas classics? Why not try “The Polar Express” which is a glorious example of holiday cheer, and rediscovering the pure spirit of a child at Christmas.

And last but not least is Dickens classic tale “A Christmas Carol”, with Ebenezer Scrooge transforming from, well, a scrooge, into an affectionate, compassionate person.

There’s still plenty of time to pick up some good holiday flicks that'll get you into the holiday spirit. So why don’t you stop in at the Warsaw Community Public Library and pick up one of these titles or one of your own favorite Christmas movies?

The Odd Life of Timothy Green grows on you

The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a modern day fable, a simple story about parenting, healing the wounds of childhood and familial love.

When Cindy and Jim Green learn that they are not able to have children, they spend one last night fantasizing about the kid who will never inhabit their lives. They scribble all the boy's imagined attributes on pieces of paper, put the notes in a wooden box and bury it in the yard.

Then a funny thing happens, as they sleep a freak storm arrives, pouring rain on just their house. Something stirs in the garden, and then … they discover a real, live boy has sprouted from their garden and despite the fact that he looks like a normal child, he has leaves near his ankles.. His name is Timothy. As the Greens get to know Timothy they come to realize he personifies every trait they wrote on their buried list. Timothy uses these traits to repair rifts and brighten lives.

Jennifer Garner makes a funny and cool mom and Joel Edgerton is a great kind-hearted dad who has his own childhood issues. The boy who plays Timothy(CJ Adams) is beyond adorable. He, in my opinion, is the real star of the show and the best part of the film.

What Timothy Green does best is capture the sadness of infertility, celebrate the eccentricities of an endearing child and probe the longings, fears and worries of parents. It also reminds us of the briefness of childhood and how as parents we all make mistakes. What's more, the movie stresses the importance of family and how one person's life can touch and inspire so many others.

The moral of this story? Love and be loved while you can, because nothing is forever, especially childhood. So why not come to the Warsaw Community Public Library and pick up this movie or another one and make it a family night?