"The Wind Beneath My Wings""

A review by Jenni:

First, just gotta say, I'm trying to not get too wrapped up in how seldom Andrew was in this episode.  Maybe after I got so worked up last week during one of his scenes... that's a good thing.  Still... he was missed.

What I love about this episode:
I'm amused by Emma calling Tess "kiddo."  Especially since Tess seems none too pleased!  But then I'm always kinda amused by humans calling angels stuff like that.  Whenever Andrew gets "son-ed" I always wanna tell the people "Ha!  He's older than any member of your family that you can trace!  Son?!?"  That would, of course, be annoying if Andrew said it.  Or Tess.  But it's fun in my head!

During Dorrie's statement to the couple trying to get a divorce, she says something about how it became easier for them "to say nothing than explain."  Eeek.  That could definitely apply to me.  Perhaps, that's another reason it's good I'm not married.  Regardless, I think the message of how important communication is needs to be heard.

Monica saying Tess puts the "sun in Sundays" was cute.  Not sure I agree (Tess can be so grumpy and as Christmas nears I'm left to think of her shortness with Andrew in TVL)... but cute!

I do feel like this was an episode I really needed to see right now.  (Even without much Andrew...)  In the past couple months, one grandma has moved to a smaller home and another to an assisted living place.  So the ideas and emotions here are very real to me.  And I thought TBAA did a good job of dealing with everything that comes with watching a parent (or in my case grandparent) get older.  I especially thought it was good that they highlighted how siblings might divide on the issue, have two different ideas, yet still both be acting out of love.

"Mothers are one of God's greatest miracles."  That's a quote from Monica.  I know it doesn't apply to all mothers.  But I have a good relationship with my mom so I agree for her.  And I may need to use that quote for a scrapbook page or something.

Speaking of that... I could really relate to Dorrie's fear of being without her mom.  I just can't even fathom that and hate thinking about it.  And while I'm touched by the revelation scene where Monica and Tess assure that even when a parent is gone God still lives and is there... you can't hug God.  At least not physically and sometimes that's important.

I *loved* how Tess talked about Emma as still being God's little girl and His baby who still had potential.  Lovely.  It reminded me of a poster I have somewhere and should find.  It's a huge hand (God's) holding a swing with a little girl swinging on it.  Adorable.

I liked how Dorrie referred to her mother as "mama" when she was scared.  I do that, too, when I'm emotional and generally not otherwise.

That father's testimony, the one whose son and daughter were suing each other for "custody," really got to me.  The combination of him talking about all the care he needed then ending with such a strong, fatherly "I don't want to hear another word about it!" grabbed me.  It seemed to really highlight how his relationship with his children changed yet stayed the same.

Emma telling Dorrie that she'll "always be my baby" made me tear up.

What I didn't love about this episode:
Not enough Andrew!  But, to be fair, in an episode about a mother and daughter I guess it made sense to mostly use Monica and Tess.  Sorta like how Adam and Andrew figure in the most in "The Root of All Evil" which revolves around two brothers.

This is yet another episode that makes me wish I'd made a "What I'm undecided about" section.  But I'll just put this here.  The whole issue of dependency is still kinda a mystery to me.  On one hand, I do believe in being independent.  On the other, I think there's an evolutionary purpose to dependency.  And since I think God drives evolution, that basically means I think God *wants* some level of interdependency so much that it's ingrained in us.  I mean if we were all completely independent what would stop us from just giving up on society and all becoming hermits?  Then babies stop being born.  So I have to kinda quibble with Monica referring to Emma and Dorrie as symbiotic and acting like that's a negative.  The way they were being symbiotic was bad.  But symbiosis itself seems natural to me.  So I think maybe a lil tweaking in that opening conversation with Monica and Tess woulda been good.  I think I wish the show woulda delved more into types of dependency.  I don't think Emma's and Dorrie's emotional dependency was all that bad.  Their, for lack of a better word, practical dependency definitely was out of whack.  Emma should not have been acting like Dorrie's secretary.  Dorrie shouldn't have wanted her to.  But I do get fearing losing each other.

Well, I'll be honest: this episode made me scared for myself!  So while it's not the writers' fault... I didn't like it!  I get lost easily.  I probly would forget to pay bills except that my computer reminds me to.  I have forgotten to take medication.  And I've totally had sour milk in my fridge just cause I forget it's in there.  (Now I'm getting better about using it up before it reaches that point.)  So... I'm a lil scared about what I'll be like at 70 or so!

They showed a mirror and Andrew was not in it.  Due to some dreams I had (and some episodes), Andrew in a mirror beside an assignment became a powerful image for me.  The downside is whenever TBAA shows an assignment in front of a mirror, I feel cheated if Andrew's not also reflected back!

After they bothered to bring up that Emma had seen Andrew during WWII, I really think a scene with the two of them after that woulda been nice.

They did the "the angel of death" thing again.  Andrew's *an* angel of death.  Whenever they say the AOD, I think it makes it sound like Andrew alone fills that role.  Speaking of that scene, did I miss where Monica told Dorrie what Andrew was?

Lingering questions:
Is there a less specific alternate phrase for "apron strings"?  Cause that and "cut the cord" are what I hear most often but only really apply to mothers and children.  But surely there are people that need to break away a bit from fathers, siblings, lovers, etc.  So what's the non-mom version?

What thirty or forty something seriously has their mother handling their bills???  Am I just naive to find that totally ridiculous?  I can totally get still being emotionally dependent at that age.  But dependent for financial and insurance stuff?  Eeek.

Parts that made me feel swoony:
Frankly, I was just happy to see Andrew at all.  I knew he was in this episode but had no recollection of his scenes.  And he was in it so little that really all I could say was "Yay!  Andrew!" whenever he showed up.  Sadly, this was not a good episode for him.  His parts (cept the one at the end with Dorrie) weren't even very... I dunno.  They didn't require Andrew.  Anyone coulda stepped in.  Sad.  Course, maybe his big scene was cut from the Hallmark version so I'll be referring to my old VHS shortly.  ETA: And I'm going through that now...  Thus far the only cut scene is Monica and Dorrie pulling up and entering the house to discover Emma and the daughter are not there.  Nope.  No cut Andrew scenes.  Maybe cut Andrew seconds.  But he officially just wasn't in this much. 

This episode did make me think that if I really wanna see Andrew, I should go park myself on a bench somewhere and look lost.  Maybe I'll set a case of ginger ale beside me.  It's like a mousetrap.  Except instead of cheese and immediate death, Andrew gets meeee!

So apparently Andrew was somehow involved with the Guadalcanal Campaign during WWII as Emma says she saw him during a reconnaissance mission.  Woulda loved to have known more...  Poor Andrew seems to have been all over during WWII.  We know he was in Auschwitz part of the time, burying the war dead at another point, apparently involved in this recon thing, and then whatever it was he was up to in the "Sign of the Dove" flashback.  That was also Red Cross, I believe.

I'm glad Andrew pops up just to say a few words to Dorrie.  I just wanted to see him...  Plus, it gave me a fun mental image.  When Andrew tells Dorrie that fear died (hence an AOD being there), I was imagining him lugging a Santa-style "bag o'phobias" to their death.  Snakes were involved.  Snakes terrify me.

There is one cute Andrew moment.  And seeing it today made me recall that I totally got scandalized by it the first time, too!  When Andrew throws that bag I thought "How disappointing!  Andrew littered!"  But, of course, it turned into a dove.  I know I had the same reaction years ago.

Random thoughts:
Note to self for the music page: This episode has Tess and Emma singing "You're in the Army" and "I'll Be Seeing You."

After her move, one of my grandma's gave me her roll top desk.  It's a lot like Emma's.  Very cool.  I love those.

Is Dorrie wearing a tie towards the end?  If so... I'm going to have to stick to my opinion that women should not wear ties.  I only sometimes like them on men and on women... no.  Not that I'd ever begrudge a lady a tie if she really wanted to wear one but I I've yet to see a woman with one where I thought "That looks great!"  Now, if you sew a buncha ties together to make a skirt... awesome.

Scenes Hallmark cut:
-They *may* have cut a little of the grandma and girl wandering when lost.  The scene seemed longer to me in the CBS version but I can't be positive.
-There were at least two scenes wherein the CBS version shows someone pulling up to the house.  I think these were cut and why not?  They weren't very important.  I do think, though, they may have cut a bit of Monica and the judge talking upon arriving together at the house the first time.
-One thing I thought was cut that wasn't: to me Andrew's scene at the end with the judge when he's on the balcony seems to end abruptly.  I assumed Hallmark messed with it but, nope, it just ends abruptly.

And further on down the road...
Pretty sure Ms. Miller, the lady who goes to trial to discern who gets to make decisions on her father's care, looks really familiar.  I'm thinking she may be another repeat guest star.

Should Emma's doctor have told Dorrie about her pills and visit?  Isn't that a HIPAA issue?

I so hope my siblings and I never end up at each other's throats like these Millers...  So sad.

I still really love the part about how Emma is still God's baby and little girl.  Just earlier today I was thinking about how, in the grand scheme of things, we're all babies really.

I inherited a rolltop desk a lot like Emma's.  They really are lovely...  And I just now realized I already mentioned that.  Oops.

"Parents are God's gift but they're not a replacement for God.  God will never die.  He'll never leave you alone.  He is life itself and He will never grow old."  That quote from Monica is comforting.

"God wants you to give up the fear of being alone... of growing old... the fear of losing each other."  That's from Tess.  To be honest, I think this episode lacks great quotes... up until the revelation scene then it's a gold mine.

"Fear is a thief.  It steals all your todays by making ya dread tomorrow.  But today is all you have.  It's all anyone has and there's no reason to worry about tomorrow.  God is already there."  Monica again.  I think that's my favorite from this episode.

Thankfully, I haven't lost a parent but already I can tell that the "you'll go on... because you have to" thing is totally legit. 


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