The musical Brigadoon opened on Broadway in 1947 and the movie came out in 1954. The movie starred Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse and was a much underrated movie for its magnitude. Vincente Minnelli, Liza Minnelli‘s father, directed the movie. This movie has a special place in my heart because I was in the musical in high school. The story takes place in the Highlands of Scotland when two young American men go hunting to get away from life in New York City. While hunting, they come across the magical village of “Brigadoon” which exists for one day every 100 years and then magically disappears only to appear 100 years later. Gene Kelly‘s character falls in love with Fiona, played by Cyd Charisse, although he is engaged to be married to a woman back in New York. When the men leave Brigadoon and go back to NYC, Kelly’s character feels that he has made a mistake and has to decide if he wants to go through with the wedding or try to get back to Brigadoon to be with the woman he has fallen in love with. There are so many beautiful songs and scenes in the movie. One of my favorite scenes is the wedding scene of young Brigadooner, Charles Darymple to Bonnie Jean. As the guests arrive by clan all in their particular tartan, each announce that they have arrived by calling our their Family name. Tartans are plaid fabrics, native to Scotland, each woven in colors produced with dyes found in their region. Tartans became characteristic of each region of Scotland and then each family had their own. The tartan of a particular family designated that they were different from another family and they were part of their own clan. The men would wear kilts and the woman would wear a beautiful wool dress for special occasions with a scarf/sash made of their family’s tartan.
As I mentioned in my book, “It’s a Great Day To… Gather Around a Table,” the family is the most basic social unit in society. It is the first unit that one has a membership in. We learn values and morals from that basic unit. In the best of situations that unit gives a security and basic needs so that one day the child will go off into the world feeling a sense confidence and self reliance. It is human nature to want to be part a group or ‘clan’. If we don’t have our own clan, when we go out in to the world, we will seek one out, most likely. It could be a group of very close, good, positive friends. It could be a church community, a neighborhood or a group from school. In the worst of situation it could be something like a gang, or individuals not having the best of intentions. It used to be that people felt a sense of belonging to their family, a church/synagogue community, a neighborhood, a school, or a social club.
In this day and age when we have so many different means of instant communication one would think that we would feel more secure than ever. However, it’s almost as if that technology is more of a distraction, be it the television, computer, phone, video game, whatever, it interferes with one’s ability to connect with people.
My hope for you and your family, your clan, is that when you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner this coming week, or any other celebration this holiday season, that you look across the table or to your right and your left, and you realize that these people are your clan. They may not be perfect they may say the wrong words at the wrong time or the wrong words at the right time. They may step on your toes, but nonetheless they are YOUR people. Expect that sometimes they will let you down, but then you’re not perfect either. Realize how fortunate you are to have people to sit around a table with, to have food to eat, to have electricity to turn the lights on, and heat to warm your home. Consider that there will come a time when some will be missing from your table, either because your kiddos grow up to have their own family and holidays now are shared or that loved ones will pass on. What I would not do to have another Thanksgiving with my Dad sitting at the opposite end of the table from Brad. My Dad loved having us all together. Try not to keep track or score or ‘tit for tat’ for wrong doings or mishaps. Every family has its ups and downs their good and bad days. However, it is family that bind you together. If there have been rough patches or hard feelings try to let it go. Life is short, And there’s no time like the present to make amends and move on. If there are things you just can’t let go of or pain that’s just too deep, that’s fair too. Sometimes an ‘old dog’ just can’t learn new tricks. I’ve known people who have been through experiences that are just too hurtful, and if that is the case, then maybe you need to move on and pray for a better day, embracing a clan that accepts you for who you are, but leaving the door open that someday, there may be a possibility to re-connect/rebuild. My feeling is that we are on this earth to look out for one another to care for one another and there are friends and people out there who will accept you for the way you are.
Likewise, be willing to open up your eyes to see those people who need a clan or a friend. Take the time to look people in the eyes to ask your friends and family questions, to be there for them when they need you. Sure it will take time out of your day and at times it may be an inconvenience but ask yourself, “how many people have inconvenienced themselves for you?” When I look at my life and think of how many people have cleared their calendar, taking the time for a visit a lunch a coffee or a phone call, I feel quite grateful to have those people in my life, and although I might not be able to repay each and everyone of them, what I can do, what we all can do, is to pay it forward to help someone else. Think about how grateful we are for those in our life who make a difference, and the Blessings we have been given. Each one of us has some days that are tough some years that are tough but some how there’s usually some light at the end of the tunnel.
So love your people, YOUR CLAN, love your friends and you’ll be surprised how many days you’ll be able to wake up and say to yourself… “It’s a Great Day” ❤️
