Sunday Night With John: Magnificent People

I hated it at first. But, who falls in love with their father's favorite 1960s Western the first time he makes you watch it? Over time, I grew to more than tolerate, "The Magnificent Seven,"  the movie my dad would watch any time it was on TV.  Now, it’s one of my favorite movies of all time and, by far, my favorite Western. When I heard that they were remaking the original with Denzel Washington, I knew that I’d be in the theater opening weekend reliving memories of my dad sitting in his chair and me stretched out on the couch as we watched the Yul Brynner version. I needed a visit from an old, warm friend this weekend and, sure enough, "The Magnificent Seven" was there to wrap me up in memories of love.

I had an emotionally rough week with some not-so-good news on more fronts than I could handle on my own. As I began to reach out for help by sharing the news with my family and friends, I found way more than seven magnificent people. There was my sister, giving the consistent advice she has offered for the length of my life. My mom provided love and support, and my brother found a way to put things in perspective. The outpouring of care did not stop at my family. After I received a touching and lovely text message from my mother-in-law, I knew I would work through my tough week just fine. Life happens. Some days are better than others. Plus, I have a great life and rarely experience lousy weeks. I decided to follow the advice I give out daily, the advice my mom has drilled into me over the years, "This too shall pass."

What I wasn’t expecting was my friends' and co-workers' overwhelming response to my request for aid. A co-worker agreed to take my meetings on Thursday so I could have a day to gather myself. A director didn't hesitate to offer a hug and permission to leave for the day on Thursday when I wasn’t emotionally or mentally prepared to care for others. There was my team finding coverage so I would not be on-call this weekend thereby ensuring that my wife and I could have a stress-free couple of days. Everywhere I turned, magnificent people were stepping up to the plate to lighten my burden, and it couldn’t have felt better.

Earlier this week, I had rented the original movie for my wife to watch, so she would be ready to accompany me to see the remake of "The Magnificent Seven". So, last night I settled in, with my wife, a friend, popcorn and pop, for a showing of the new movie. The only thing missing was my dad. The not-so-good week was behind me because I have created many meaningful relationships.  And, these people came through for me in my time of need. They turned an awful week into one that reminded me that I have the support system to overcome any setback. To borrow from the not-quite-as-good-as-the-original-movie, (but well worth the price of admission),  I have way more than a "Magnificent Seven"  in my life. I have too many magnificent people to count.