The final episode of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! laid the drama on thick, something I’m not opposed to. The final conclusion about the chuunibyou stage is an interesting one, and is certainly ripe for interpretation. Some enjoyed the finale; others thought the final answer strayed from the show’s theme.
As for me, I found myself focusing less on the confusing lesson that ends the show than on Rikka’s literal response to Yuuta’s invitation to speak to the lights. She says a long overdue goodbye to her dad, while the series slideshows through moments she shared with her papa.
I was reminded of my own household and how I raise my young son and daughter. Too often, I overemphasize the small things, scolding them for sharing poorly or eating in too messy a manner. I forget that they’re kids. I was reminded of this important lesson because when we look back, years hence, we remember the big things – largely how well (or poorly) we cared for our loved ones. Rikka’s father lived too short of a life, and after his death, Rikka remembers the loving bond, and I’m sure her dad would want to emphasize that as well.
In our daily lives, we sometimes get caught up in the little things. For me, it’s trying to raise my children to care about others, but sometimes so much so that I micromanage and frustrate them. For you, it might be getting impatient or angry with a friend or co-worker over something that’s ultimately trivial, or any of a variety of other situations and actions.
In the end, how we love each other (and I would add how we love God) is what matters. There’s room for the small, and certainly much of the small holds significance, but it shouldn’t overshadow the big. If we step back and think about a slideshow of how we treated and loved others, would it be full of beautiful moments, or would it all too often be laden with pictures of us worrying about the small stuff?
As we move forward into a new year, perhaps it’s a good time to think about the big picture – a lengthier, fuller one – an eternal one – and to live a life that fills a slideshow with photos of love.
