Joy Luck Club Wisdom

As I was waiting for my batch of fudge bars to bake, I stumbled on 'Joy Luck Club' on HBO. I love this movie. I admit, I haven't read the book. And I always mean to do so. The book oftentimes is better than the movie, after all. But every time I watch the movie I just feel like I don't really need to read the book anymore. The movie itself already has a lot to reflect on. I won't go into all of the things I reflect on here, because that would just be too long. I will say though that the one thought that ALWAYS pops into my head when I watch this film is, I wish I had that wisdom, that I could sit and get that wisdom from my mom, and that I could share that wisdom with my daughter when she's old enough. I don't wish for the hardships each woman endured to gain that wisdom though. And so I guess therein lies the clincher. I wonder, do I have to go through pain that is the 'walk on my bare hands and knees on live, hot coal, then soak my wounds in salted, vinegary water' kind before I gain this wisdom.

Sigh. I thought the best things in life were free.