As October draws to a close, many of our favorite Halloween shows from childhood begin to play once again. No Halloween show is more iconic than It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. This beloved classic stars all your peanut favorites as Linus prepares for the coming of The Great Pumpkin on Halloween night. Even though we might view this as a childhood movie and nothing else, there are still many valuable life lessons we can take away from this holiday favorite.
Believe In Yourself
Though Linus is criticized the whole movie for believing in the mysterious Great Pumpkin, he never gives up what he believes in. So, even though The Great Pumpkin isn’t real, there are still many times in our lives where we give up on our dreams or passions. Because something goes wrong one time, we stop believing in ourselves and that we can do it. Just like Linus has unwavering faith that The Great Pumpkin is coming, we need to have that same steadfast confidence in ourselves.
Don’t Follow The Crowd
In today’s day and age, we are told not to go with the flow, to be different, and to try something new, but we are still obsessed with following the trends. Sometimes we have to follow the crowd, but doing that is not what is going to make you stand out at work, make your artwork revolutionary, or make you the best friend you can be. We need to be different. And not be afraid to voice and share our unpopular opinions respectfully.
Be Kind To Those You Disagree With
Yes, Lucy does call Linus a blockhead the majority of the movie, but we also see her waking up in the middle of the night to retrieve her brother. She helps him back into bed where he can be snug and warm. That is the kind of love we need to show our family and friends. To always be there and support one another, even if you don’t agree with what they are doing. In our driven political society, everyone seems to want to have an opinion, but not listen to other’s views. Instead of always saying everything we feel, let’s take some time to listen to others first.
Life’s Full Of Rocks
One of the funniest parts of this movie is that Charlie Brown gets a rock in his trick or treating bag at every house he visits. Even though we don’t get real stones thrown at us, sometimes we can get figurative ones. Life can be tough, and we can often start to stagger under the weight of all the rocks in our lives. But, when life happens, we need to keep trucking along. Just like Charlie Brown did. Even though his friends mistreat him on multiple occasions, he never loses his Halloween spirit. Be a little more like Charlie Brown today.
Don’t Do Something You Hate To Impress A Boy
Poor Sally missed all the trick or treating fun because she stayed in the pumpkin patch with Linus. Yes, she did want to impress him, but in the process, she just made herself unhappy. This made me think about all the times I have made myself miserable trying to please a boy or even just someone else. Life is too short to be unhappy over a boy. So, today, think about what matters and makes you happy, and pursue that instead.
As you can see, this simple TV show still holds many truths about our lives today. I hope that you have a fun and safe Halloween this year, and of course, take a half an hour to watch It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
