Somethings Gotta Give

I, along with so many other women, seem to catch so much slack from men for getting sucked into the same predictable, two-dimensional, often-times sappy "chick flick." And I admit it: nine times out of ten, they really are terrible. But I love them anyway, something I often feel secretly ashamed of, as if this somehow detracts from my credibility as a woman. The truth is, there are reasons why chick flicks are so successful and why so many of us fall victim to their charms. They give us hope. They remind us of the possibility, the potential for love. And if we are lucky enough to have already found the loves of our lives, well, we still devour the chick flick if only because it serves as a reminder of the preciousness of what we already have. Somehow, we see ourselves in the characters, no matter how quirky or mysterious they may be. We see ourselves in their faces and suddenly it is our eyes that sparkle and dance. That beautiful man is suddenly falling in love with us. We feel beautiful again. We feel worthy of love when otherwise all seems lost.

So do not chastise and do not tease. The heart is, indeed, a labyrinth of ups and downs. Thank God we have the ever-present chick flick for support, to help us rejoice when we're in the clouds and get back on our feet after the falls.