There are plenty of films that have moved me to tears. Some of them have fallen as tears of joy while others have fallen as tears of sadness. The Fault In Our Stars is one of those rare ones where my tears fell somewhere in the middle.
The movie centers on Shailene Woodley as Hazel, who is living her life as best as she can with Stage 4 cancer. Through a support group she’s attending, Hazel meets a boy named Augustus, played by Ansel Elgort. While Augustus is really only attending the group for his friend, he too has battled the same disease, except his is in remission and resulted in a partial loss of one of his legs. Through charm, wit, and sheer confidence, Augustus soon gains the friendship of Hazel. Based upon a popular young adult novel of the same name, The Fault In Our Stars goes on to tell the story of Hazel and Augustus falling in love and then experiencing the tragedy of their disease as well.
This movie was reminiscent of another that moved me in the very same way. The title of that one was The Notebook. It’s generally rare that I’m able to feel my emotions so well throughout an entire movie. In most cases, I cry for a few moments in various parts of one or most likely at the end, but never throughout. The Fault In Our Stars and The Notebook are two of those movies that I sniffled almost from the very beginning to the entire end. But there was one thing that moved me so much more so in The Fault In Our Stars and it deals with accepting life on life’s terms and making the best of it.
Here were two teenagers whose love for each other was far stronger than their disease of cancer. They were able to look beyond their limitations and saw life for its potential. While I know the story is fictionalized, the reality is that there are many people in this world just like Augustus and Hazel. They do their best to find happiness in life regardless of their circumstances.
Joni Eareckson Tada is a real-life example of someone who has done this very thing. As a young teenager, she was an aspiring athlete who dove into water one day and broke her neck when she hit the bottom. After years of struggling with acceptance over being paralyzed from the neck down, she began to find peace and happiness in life by growing a spiritual ministry that eventually would inspire countless people such as me.
It’s no secret that I too have struggled with my current health issues in life just like Joni has. The only thing that has kept me going and given me any moments of peace and happiness is when I’ve been serving the God of my understanding. Whether that’s done in the words I write, or in the recovery work I do, or in any of my other day to day actions, I do my best to also accept life on life’s terms and make the best of it, just like August and Hazel did. Some days are much harder than others, but I’m always grateful for those where I feel truly happy inside, regardless of my current circumstances.
I’m truly thankful for the movies like The Fault In Our Stars that continue to remind me that no matter what I’m going through in life, that unconditional love and light can get me through anything…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson