For about ninety-five percent of my life, I have been the optimist. Seldom do I come across stimuli that challenge my positivity. However, the film “Lion” did. In fact it moved me in the most bittersweet way.
This post is not a strict film review, though I have many compliments about the film’s execution and do encourage anyone and everyone to go and see it… feel it. Upon reflection, I began thinking that we are all one accident or diagnosis away from misfortune, that’s if we weren’t already born into it. Forgive the bleak statement, it is just an observation.
The film is set in India and it makes no apologies for the gritty realism and poverty that is rife in this part of the world. It has parallels with my motherland, the Philippines. The story of the protagonist in Lion was nothing short of miraculous. Many a time in the film he narrowly escaped catastrophe as he aimlessly wandered in search of home. A staggering 80,000 children go missing in India every year; this statistic broke my heart.
I thought about how analogous his journey is to anyone who is in search of something, be it a destination, a goal, a relationship. Along the path of any quest there are numerous hurdles to overcome and split-second decisions may change life’s course drastically.
I do not want to spoil the narrative for anyone who has not seen it so I won’t make any more references. I just felt compelled to reflect upon my life up to this point. I thought of the thousands of crossroads I faced and the choices I made to be where I am now. A lot of courage went into those choices and there were many lessons learned.
Regardless, I too narrowly escaped danger and faced tragedy many times, and I could not help but feel for the central character and his turbulent misfortune. As much as I am grateful for the blessings in my life, I know that nothing is guaranteed and so I cherish what is here and now.
