A Profound Message on Life...and Death

So I convince Coletta and Sade that we need to get out. This is the second weekend in a row where we have largely remained at home indoors. "We need to get out, get with the spirit of Christmas," I proclaimed. "And where is that," Sade asked. "The MALL!" Coletta quickly chimed in, "We don't need anything at the mall." Not the point, we can window shop, check out the displays, go to the Christmas Tree Display at Boscov's. And... catch a movie?

Now I really have not seen "Rogue One" and I have been a Star Wars fan from Day one in 1977, but sadly, neither of my girls can STAND those stupid movies. What can I say? But I was willing to compromise and even go to a movie all three of us could enjoy. I knew Sade and Coletta both like Will Smith (and I as well) and I liked the premise of his new movie, "Collateral Beauty" about a man who loses his six-year-old daughter and goes into a profound state of depression such that he communicates only by writing letters to; LOVE, TIME and DEATH. I don't want to reveal too much about the movie other than to say they all answer his letters.

Now here is the "Oh my God" moment. One of the characters is having a conversation with "Death" -played by Helen Mirren. He coughs and she asks him if he is all right, "No, I 'm sick." "How sick?" She asks him. Are you dying?" He looks at her and says;"I have Multiple Myeloma." All three of us, Sade, Coletta, and Me all cried out, "SHIT!" I put my hand on Coletta's knee. Of ALL the diseases this character could have had, why this one? A rare but more common blood disease than you might think. Multiple Myeloma of course is what Coletta has been struggling with for the past few years.

The character went on, "I've had it since I was 15, but two weeks before my son was born (he held a newborn in an earlier scene) I came out of remission. I don't want my family to suffer financially when I die." So here we are sitting in this darkened theater holding onto each other while Coletta talks to the screen, "You're not going to die, you need to keep fighting." Needless to say it was one of those moments; a coincidence, or a profound message?