There are many things to be gleaned from the story of Alice By Heart, but the one that has resonated with me the most is the beautiful representation of the journey of grief. Amidst the troubling times of World War II, Alice seeks normalcy in the pages of a story. On the outside: a fine way to handle hardship and adversity. Perhaps when we look a little deeper: an avoidance tactic. Another fine way to handle hardship…for a little while.
As we move through the story, we see various characters handling grief in their own way: Alice seeking an escape, Alfred reacting in anger, the Queen demanding power, the Turtles hiding within their grief, and children questioning where God is amidst the war.
There’s nothing comfortable about tragedy. Grief is messy. It’s not linear. It’s dark. And hopelessness is a natural and human response. As many of us have experienced, there are moments in our lives where facing reality is much too painful. At some point though, we need to face it if we want to begin to heal, to find hope again, to survive, to begin anew.
“Sometimes we overcome, you know, just by going on.”
Thank you to this outrageously wise and talented cast for taking on such difficult material. This script has really done its job – leading to many meaningful conversations that I hope one day play a small role in guiding them through times of sorrow, pointing them toward hope. If I’m even luckier, perhaps this story will speak to you, too.
Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Jana Latchaw Milbourn, Director
