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Star Wars Wisdom
Posted Jan 4, 2016 by Jacquie Robison
Whether it is friends posting pics with their theatre tickets in hand, someone wearing one of the many options for logo’d merchandise, or a family member asking coyly “Can we talk about this movie yet?”, my social media feed has been flooded by posts about Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

I remember going to see  the original Star Wars at the cinema when I was 9 years old and being absolutely transported by the characters, the storytelling and the action. Clearly, I wasn’t alone. When Star Wars (later renamed Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) was released in 1977, there were rumblings about a difficult production schedule and resistance from studios to present a ‘science fiction’ movie. It received 10 Academy Award nominations, winning seven, including Best Picture.
Fortune favors the bold.

But, prior to its release, no one could have known what a legacy it would create and what a passionate following it would inspire.
I think this is a lot like being a parent. No one can tell you what it’s like, and, when it does happen to you, your experience is unlike anyone else’s. Your child is unique. Their own person. You don’t have any idea how the world is going to respond to them or what kind of impact they will make.
As I watched the original movie recently with my husband and daughter, I thought about some of the ways its dialogue can be applied to parenting:

I love you. I know. Yes, we have a daughter now. Our couple dynamic is now a family one. And, Sofia does require some extra special attention in certain areas. But, there is no ‘she’ without ‘we’. So, even though my husband knows how much his support and strength means to me, I’m going to tell him. Often.

Let the Wookiee win. Kids can be a lot like tiny wookiees. Sure, less fur, but same stubborn demeanor. Reason doesn’t always work and you have to choose your battles. So, sometimes you just have to let the Wookiee win.

But I was going into Toshi station to pick up some power converters! Oh, you had plans today? Well, your child woke up with a fever and a stomach flu accompanied by vomiting that is less like Star Wars and more like Alien. Flexibility is key. Get a load of laundry in and pick up some ginger ale and crackers. It’s going to be a long day. Inside.

The Force will be with you. Always. The smiling face of my daughter fills me with a love and joy that I could never have imagined. I continue to educate myself about cerebral palsy and we work together as a family to create activities that grow her strength and flexibility. But, it doesn’t stop there. She won’t be defined by this one element of her being. No one can tell me the places she’ll go and the things she’ll do. She’s on her own journey to discover interests and talents that will combine to present something I may not even be able to imagine today.

I don’t know. I can imagine quite a bit.

This entry was posted in Musings