He says to his beloved, "I'm not him. I know I'm not. But I've loved you for as long as I can remember. I don't know how else to say it." (There's a nice double entendre there, as his memory has been wiped a few years ago. Also, Tom Cruise has sold an ILY delivery to any number of pretty women over the years. But I digress.)
The beloved knows she's talking to a clone of her husband. She tells an anecdote as a preface to her conclusion, which is, "Those memories are yours, Jack. They're ours. They are you." It's a gracious and perfect benediction. It's true in an important way, and it reflects a kindness in overlooking some untruths.
(It also uncomplicates a very complicated situation, and allows the story to move on to its inevitable, semi-happily ever after ending. The actress sells the delivery. Which is saying something, as she's the Mary Sue character who does everything right and looks great doing it. But I digress.)
I had truffle popcorn, which I haven't had in a long time. We cuddled and talked. It was lovely.
Then today, we heard from a friend that his mom died suddenly. Our day was spent partly on that, and partly on other big feelings.
Tonight, coming back home from our walk, I stepped out of the car and found myself on the receiving end of an intense gaze by a pug. Evidently, she had stopped to stare at our new car while it was idling. (A dog with taste!)
The pug wouldn't leave even though her owner was tugging at the leash with some force. "Hi, darling," I said, greeting the dog as I assembled my things in preparation to leave the car. Her owner apologized. "I'm sorry; sometimes, she does this."
I greeted the dog again, and then closed the door and started to leave. The pug stayed put. Her owner continued pulling on the leash, to no effect. She chided her pet, "You can't just stay here." But the pug didn't budge.
Sometimes, you have to stop. You have to wait for the feeling to wash over you before you can move on. Sometimes, staying still is part of living fully.
**
Today, I read:
-The tale of Horatius, in the Lays of Ancient Rome, by Thomas Babington Macaulay. A portion had been quoted in the movie, and I wanted to know the whole story. It's great.
Today, I wrote:
-this blog
Yesterday, I deleted:
-A stained red shirt. I liked it a lot. I often felt industrious and put together when I wore it. Farewell, and thank you for your many years of service.
Hit me up: if you want to discuss why Tom Cruise's character didn't notice that other repairmen were working on his drones; if you think Mary Sue characters aren't appreciated enough; if you want to be interviewed about grief; if you have an opinion on the feelings of dogs; if the meter bothered you in certain parts of the Lays of Ancient Rome; if you read this post and have comments. My Gmail address is my blog’s name.
