(**warning** possible unintentional spoilers ahead)

Last night I watched The Visitor, a quiet movie which honestly surprised me. On the surface, it is about immigration and how things changed after 9/11. It could even be a film about a man in his mid-50s who is going through sort of a mid-life crisis. Boring job. No real friends. A routine that has sucked all the joy out of his heart.

I was rooting for this character, Walter, before I realized it. He was so closed. So unhappy. I wanted to put him in a sweatshirt and jeans. Or something. What was so beautiful was as the film progressed, he began taking baby steps toward an unfolding of his soul. As he opened himself to other people, even in the smallest gestures, it changed him. And it moved them. I probably related so much because in some ways, I'm going through this same process. It looks different but it is the same road we all are walking.

I felt like we had been given a glimpse into a man's life who began to dream again. We got to see his soul being put back together.

It is amazing how simple we humans are. As we give, we are given. As we love, we are loved. As we open ourselves to others, they open up to us. It doesn't mean life becomes rosy and the bank account overflows, but it means a full life. It means looking back and saying, "Yes. I truly lived."

p.s. I really want to learn how to play the djembe now.