Today is my Grabdna’s birthday!  

    For one reason or another there are movies folks watch annually. It can be a favorite holiday film, at the end of the year, for instance.  Every year, around my Grandmals borthday I watch the Russell Crowe boxing movie Cinderella Man,  I have every year since she passed. I have this annual summer tradition because of her. That’s a random movie. But there is a very special reason behind it. 

     Russell Crowe was her favorite actor.  I WOUKD tease her about Russell Crowe being her Hollywood crush.  (Mine currently is Jessica Chasrian in case you are wibderibg)  She  wanted to see the movie when it was released in theaters, back in 2005.  She rarely, went to see movies on the big screen, favoring to watch them at home, and I could not say no to her. Obviously I took her. 

    Driving home we were talking about the events portrayed in during the true story. She started reminiscing about listening to the to boxing matches portrayed, in the film, with her father on the radio. Friends and syblimgs would also listen with the two of them. One of these folks would become my grandfather. 

    She recalled the excitement of listening to the fight portrayed in the climax of the film live.  She talked about how her father was a fan of Jim Braddock, the character that Russell Crowe was playing in the film. 

    I talked about how Paul Giantti would would be nominated for the supporting actor Academy Award.  We talked about his performance and the clip that should be shown on Oscar night.  The morning after the Oscar telecast I had a voicemail from her asking if that was the clip we had talked about almost eight months earlier. 

    Christmas morning,under the tree, there was a gift from my Grandma with my name on it. After ripping through the wrapping paper I found the Cinderella Man dvd.  It is the most treasured dvd in my library and the one I will never loan out. You are welcome to come over and watch oy with me though. 

  This a very special memory to me, one I have treasure for all these years. After she passed it was what 

 immediately came to mind. It comes back every year yto me and I smile.    

     Until next t time I will see you at the movies!