Forrest Gump: My momma always said, “Life’s a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
Lovable, gullible, Forrest was…let’s say…a few bricks shy of a load. Yet, how ever far on the lower side his cognitive capabilities might have been, the profound insight slowly, and carefully, enunciated by his unassuming perceptive wisdom flows from the depths of knowledge and understanding.
It’s true though, we never know what to expect from life. Sometimes it’s nutty, sometimes it’s fruity, and sometimes we don’t like it at all. Yet, unlike a repulsive piece of chocolate we simply spit out, we can’t just spit our life out. Sometimes we don’t have any choice but to chew. So, we chew slowly. Very slowly. All while complaining, making horrible faces, or getting downright rude about it. Finally, we swallow the unpleasant slice of life we’ve been dealt. Committing to memory not to choose that piece again…as if we could.
“Mama always said, dying was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn’t,” Forrest states. As we all do. However, that is the one piece of chocolate in all of our boxes which is the same. It may look different for each of us, but inevitably it’s the same. Even as Forrest reflects on his friend Bubba’s passing, he spoke words of wisdom, “If I’d a known that was the last time I was gonna talk to Bubba, I would’ve thought of something better to say.”
How many times have we regretted our last words weren’t enough? Our last text message was lacking? Our last phone message was too abrupt? How many times have we wished we’d said “I love you,” “I forgive you,” “I miss you” more often? How many times have we dreamt about making a different decision? Longed for a second chance? Prayed we could change things? How many times does it take to stop ourselves from NOT doing what we’ll regret? How many times are we going to reach for that piece of chocolate we know leads to regret? How many?
A word of advice, friends. We learn quickly which pieces are our favorites. Just like when we learn which to avoid. Therefore, enjoy every bite of the best flavors of life and make the best of the rest. Life simply comes in a variety of flavors. It’s the variety that keeps us reaching for another piece. Besides, how boring life would be if it was all the same flavor.
Like the flavor of love, for instance. When Forrest purposed to Jenny, even though she declined gracefully (the first time), Forrest said, “I’m not a smart man… but I know what love is.” And love he did: Jenny, Forrest Jr., Lt. Dan, Bubba, his Mama, and basically everyone he met. He was a simple man, ergo he lived a simple life. Yet everyone he met he always approached from a place of kindness. A place of friendship.
Forrest Gump had a huge heart. As big as the biggest box of chocolates. If we could learn one lesson from Forrest it should be: Each day, enjoy our piece of chocolate like it’s melting in our mouth in a pure explosion of joy…because until it’s our last piece, it’s always our best piece!
“And that’s all I have to say about that.” (Forrest Gump)
Smile, you have chocolate on your face!
