"Magic-It Wasn't"

By Theresa Blume

OK, I admit it, or confess it, whichever way you see it, but I went to the movie, "Magic Mike".  I didn't really plan on going to it, but my 21 year-old daughter who had sort of a bad day, told me she would pay for the two of us to go. 

First of all, when your 21 year-old daughter wants to do ANYTHING with her mother, you take it as a compliment, knowing that now a days kids don't want to be seen with their parents until they hit 50 (or maybe never).
Secondly, she offered to pay for the tickets, which means it meant a lot to her that I go, and I always like to encourage kids giving back to their parents so they know the value of things, so I felt like it was good to take her up on it. 
Third-She had sort of a bad day, and I felt like as a mother I needed to be there for her.
Fourth-I guess I was curious if the movie was any good.

Well, we got there on time, got the tickets, sat down and suddenly everything I never wanted to see was in my face.  I tried to be cool at first, tried to go with the flow, maybe there's no real harm here, but eventually I told my daughter I was leaving.  I told her she could stay if she wanted, and I would go to the bookstore next door.  ( Of course I hoped that she would not want to stay, but I wanted her to make that choice.)  But she surprised me and willingly said she would go with me.

As far as I know, we were the only ones who walked out of the movie.  It wasn't until we hit the fresh air that I realized I had done a good thing by being an example to her, even though I had given in to the temptation of going in the first place.  She said she felt bad about the money, but I said, "The money was worth it, knowing what we are missing."

We went to eat afterward and talk, and it turned out to be a good excuse to talk about things that would not have been brought up.  We discussed why I felt so offended by this movie, and she admitted she was also disappointed.  She said, "Well Mom, you knew what it was about, right?"  Honestly, I never really expected what I got.  I made the mistake of believing in certain actors, but that's all they are is actors, and just because they might have been heroes in one show doesn't mean they are real heros.  I think some people forget that because actors are often "typecast", so  you start to believe that's the way they are.

I remembered another time I went to a movie with my daughter when she was younger.  Harry Potter.  She was going to see it with her friends eventually, so I had the idea to see it with her first so we could talk about it.  That was a good thing.  Not the show, but the talk.  How I wish Magic Mike had been like Harry Potter now, but times have changed.  (Interesting how the word magic is in both movies?)

Evil is sometimes hard to discern in this day and age.  The good guys are bad guys and the bad guys are good guys.  The slang for good is "bad" and the newest I've heard is "sick!".  The temptations we face may seem small and meaningless, but I believe the Pandora's box has been opened, and there is no returning.  After this movie, I have thought more about the old days, and wished for them, the simpler times when we controlled our language and what we watched. 

I realize that God turns bad into good, and the good is that I was with my daughter and she saw my reaction and I followed my soul out of the theater, and she followed me.  Even if she watches this movie again, she will know what I think, and that's all we can do as parents of older kids.  My daughter and I ended up having a new memory and reinforcing our bond, and continuing a great conversation of right and wrong.  Maybe God used me to help her in the future when I won't be there to make her decisions. 

My kids are my weak spot, and even they can lead me into temptation.  We all want to be cool parents, but it's better to be a good parent.  We want to help our kids, but we always must remember we are also examples in our actions, not just our words.  I wish I could be right all the time, but to say you are sorry, to say you sinned, to say you made a mistake, is better than always being right in my book.  I believe it's in God's book too.

Matthew 18:9  "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."