Somewhere on everyone’s list of favorite Christmas movies should fall “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the quaint, inspirational story of an average guy who through a series of events has the opportunity to see how his life could have been changed drastically if certain hardships had not taken place.

George Bailey and his family are the last obstacle to the evil Mr. Potter taking over the entire community of Bedford Falls and condemning the citizens to a miserable life in permanent debt and serving almost in slavery to Potter and his schemes.

There is a host of memorable characters who are woven in and out of the movie which was filmed mostly in Indiana, Pa., 75 years ago.

The film realistically portrays an accumulation of events that could have and may have happened to any boy growing up in Western Pennsylvania in the mid 1940s.

The story opens with a boys will be boys accident that has George Bailey’s younger brother falling through the ice on the neighborhood pond where the kids have gathered for good, clean outdoor fun, which our kids today would have trouble imagining as entertainment.

George jumps to the rescue but suffers an injury that will last his lifetime. He also has an important episode while working part-time at the local pharmacy that serves as the setting for George’s early romantic encounters and his opportunity to save a life.

Each of the events that occur in the plot are important to shaping the life of George Bailey but also the community as it takes on a different complexion as George is a granted a wish (by a confused angel struggling to earn his wings), to see what his life would be like if he had never been born.

OK, we aren’t going to rerun the whole movie but now you have an idea of where the plot goes in case you have been under a rock your entire life and haven’t experienced watching Jimmy Stewart in the role of George Bailey.

The basis of the story is that everything we do or experience in our lives can and will impact someone else. The loose change you toss in the Salvation Army kettle can change a life. The mittens and gloves that you hang on the community-needs tree may save a person’s health, and the special offer that you toss in the church collection plate made feed a family this Christmas that may go hungry otherwise.

It is easy to feel sad for ourselves and to want something more than we have for ourself or our family. Many have struggled during the past two years with COVID experiences (none more than our health care workers), and it has moved “improved health” much higher on our Christmas lists than ever before, maybe even ahead of the hardest to find toy or electronic gadget.

George Bailey is finally able to see, with the help of his friends, family and Clarence Odbody the unstable angel, just how important each of us is in the lives of others. You may not fully understand what role you play or have played in this world and how many positive things you have brought to those you love but also to those whom you may not have even met yet.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” brings a Hollywood impact to a story that we live every day. Each of us plays a role in so many lives and we can be a blessing or a hindrance every day.

Please take the opportunity to give yourself as a blessing to someone else this Christmas season, and in doing so we believe you too will be blessed.

The movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” makes a nice backdrop for showcasing what we can all do in the world if we just give it a chance and then listen for those bells to ring. Enjoy the show.

— RV