Over the holidays, I watched a movie, About Time, a 2013 British charming romantic comedy-drama about a young man with the special ability of time travel.
When Tim Lake (portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson) turns 21, his father (Bill Nighy) tells him that all of the men in the family have a special gift- the ability to travel in time. But they can only travel to places and times they have been before. Tim decides to use this gift to improve his love life. He meets and falls in love with Mary (Rachel McAdams). With a little help from his time-travel ability, they soon get married and embark on their lives together.
Yet soon Tim learns that even with his special gift, he still has to face all the usual events of life- including accidents, sickness, old age and death.
The central theme of this movie for me can be summed up in the serenity prayer- that I have the courage to change the things I can in life, the capacity to accept that which I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference. This movie also reminded me of the beauty, perfection and power of the present moment.
What if you had a ‘second chance’ where you could ‘go back’ and do things differently?
What would you change? What could you change?
Would your life be different?
Watch this movie if you want to go deeper with these questions.
Perhaps you too will come away with a new way to think about time 🙂
