The Ultimate Life

Since I have decided to major in Family Studies, it seems that everything in my life outside of school reminds me of what I have been learning in my classes. It is AWESOME! This semester I am taking a class called "Family Adaptation and Resiliency". Only after the first week of classes, I had a neat experience of my learning in action. Yesterday at Stake Conference, one of the speakers happened to mention something about families, in particular children, and what things help them be more resilient in life. Out of the 4 or 5 options that were given, the number one thing that researches have found to be linked with more resilience in children, was the children's desire to learn more about their ancestors. As I heard this, it made me reflect back on a movie I recently watched- The Ultimate Life. This movie was a sequel (and prequel) to the movie The Ultimate Gift. In the sequel, it talks about how Jason Stevens, the grandson that inherited his grandfather Red Stevens' foundation, gets so caught up in family business that he begins to put aside the most important things, AKA his relationship with Alexia. What brings him to his senses is a connection with his grandfather that he feels when he reads his grandfather's journal. Learning about his grandfather's life helps Jason re-prioritize his own life and helps him remember what is most important.

Although this movie did not have the best acting, the message behind it and the feelings I felt helped me remember that there are definitely good sources of media out there with good lessons to be learned, we just need to be proactive about finding them!