Groundhog

The movie Groundhog Day is brilliant. It's not mindless, light comedy; it's a comment on how we live our lives.

Bill Murray's character starts out as a conceited jerk, unable to connect with anyone. Throughout the movie, he learns that he is capable of changing the course of his entire life in the span of one day.

Groundhog Day reminds me of parenting because certain elements of every day tend not to change. Lyla wakes up, needs to be changed, fed, put down for a nap, etc., and I can see how days might start to feel the same.

Except that they don't. Just like the movie, we get to make adjustments each day to make it better than the previous one. Julie puts Lyla down for a nap after her first feeding. Then is a good time to work out. Showers are best just after lunch. And we always plan so there's lunch food in the refrigerator. The kitchen must remain clean for a sane existence. They're little daily changes, but they lead us ever closer to the perfect day.

Watch Groundhog Day again sometime during the rest of this long, long winter--because yes, good old Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning.