Annie Live!

Amelia the Niece spent the weekend to help us decorate for Christmas.

We had a lovely weekend.

On Friday night, as part of our two-day festivities, we watched “Annie Live!”

We all thought that it was pretty good—

Even my dad!

 

One of the things that struck me about this version of Annie

Was how emotional the actor was who played Annie.

I’ve seen Annie a gazillion times.

I’ve seen the movies and I’ve seen the stage show in both professional and amateur theatre.

But I have never seen an Annie with the emotional depth that I saw on Friday night.

 

Annie has pretty thick skin.

Living in an orphanage all of your life,

With an abusive, alcoholic, albeit-portrayed-comedically, house mom

And a group of other orphans who depend on you to be their leader

Will do that to a person.

 

So when Annie is taken out of the orphanage and actually loved,

Her life drastically changes.

In every other production I’ve seen, Annie just rolls with it.

She’s happy-go-lucky and emotionally steady.

For instance, when Daddy Warbucks presents Annie with a new locket,

She is grateful for the gesture but confesses that, more than anything,

She’d like to find her real parents who hold the other half of the locket.

Just like that.

Matter of fact.

As if what has happened to her in two weeks hasn’t turned her world upside down.

 

On Friday night, though, when Daddy Warbucks presented Annie with a new locket,

She reacted so very strongly—

With a trauma response of someone whose only connection with her parents was being taken away.

She then proceeded to have a full emotional break-down while telling Daddy Warbucks that she wanted to find her real parents.

The break-down was very dramatic.

It was as if years and years of tears and hopes and longing were finally being released…

Because they were…

Because she finally felt loved…

And safe.

 

Friends: Many of us have developed thick skin.

We have built up walls of armor because we need protection from a cruel, difficult world.

Most of us will not have the drastic life change that Annie had,

But all of us, in time, can begin to tear down our walls,

Allow our hearts to soften,

And let in the people who love us and

Will stick with us through the changes.

 

May we be a people rich in the Love that changes everything,

And may we be a safe place when those we love completely fall apart.

 

Amen.