The Fellowship of Life

Tonight we started the first of a trilogy for the weekend.

It's been forever since we were both home with nowhere to go and no one coming to visit. This will also be the last weekend until the first weekend in June when we have nothing planned.

Wait - first weekend in June is now full. 'Tis my fortieth birthday bash. Tee-hee! Yes, it's full speed ahead for the huge party.

But that's going to have to wait for another post.

Since it's been so long since we've watched it, we pulled out the Lord of the Rings extended versions. We watched one tonight, will pull two for tomorrow, then the final for Sunday evening. Feels so good to have time to bum around together. It's also nice that we share several joys too.

I'll never forget when I saw the Fellowship of the Ring. For some reason, I'd never read these books. I even remember one of my older sisters reading the Hobbit in school, but I never picked them up until adulthood.

Now I own them. My son had to read them before he was allowed to watch the movies so he would have the opportunity to get the most out of the experience. Anytime they come out with a movie that is based upon a classic, I always have him read the book as incentive to see the movie.

Guess it won't be too many more years until that won't work anymore.

But the Lord of the Rings has so much depth. It is more than a movie or book series. It is more than an adventure or quest. These stories encompass the full bandwidth of all life has to offer - the good and the bad. Nothing is sugarcoated.

Life is hard. For some generations it is even more so. But even in the midst of the greatest of trials and battles, there is the blessing of a friend to hold us up, to encourage, to walk alongside.

For that, I love the Fellowship the most.