While I could easily craft an entire article detailing my experiences with Rick, including the time we installed internet in the classrooms and libraries of the 84-school Long Beach Unified School District in 1996, I will focus here on his remarkable imitation of actor James Stewart.
Our children grew up together, and we traveled internationally with his family. During the holidays, we would watch a joint family tradition: “Christmas Vacation” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
I can’t recall how I came up with this (Google wasn’t founded until 1998), but I enrolled him in The Zuzu Society. I’ll explain later in this article.
Fast-forward from 1996 to 2024. Twenty-eight years later, I no longer live two doors down from Rick, and we are both grandfathers, but Zuzu is still around—this time in another life story of mine!
Kathie and I discovered a new business called “Zuzu’s Petals” in the last few years. The photo below was taken when we still didn’t know what this place was. Eventually, we learned it was a restaurant that soon opened with little fanfare. Kathie and I would subsequently dine there and meet one of the owners, Evan Papadakis.
Here is a quick interview with Evan:
I grew up watching the 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The film was a staple in my home, especially around the holidays. In short, George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, falls on some hard times toward the film's end after spending most of his life selflessly helping others. He becomes disenchanted and wishes he never lived. His wish is granted, and he quickly realizes he has entered a nightmare as the town and everyone in it have been hardened by the lack of humanity and connectivity he has worked so hard to cultivate. He wishes to “live again,” and finding his daughter’s rose petals in his pocket (Zuzu’s Petals) is one of his first signals that he has been granted his life back. His life was exactly as it was when he had previously wished not to have lived. George Bailey is overwhelmed with joy, gratitude, and a newfound resolve to persevere and show up for others again.
I was neighbors with Chef Jessie Franco in an office park. He was the owner and operator of a wonderful café called “The Cove” in Palos Verdes. Over the years, we shared the space, we became friendly, and I often visited his café as a regular customer. I loved his food, and our conversations would frequently revolve around life, as well as our personal and professional futures.
Chef Jessie had been working in kitchens since high school, dedicating himself to learning under various reputable chefs in the industry. I, on the other hand, had worked in mental health for a decade, but I grew up in my family’s restaurant, Papadakis Taverna. In many ways, we were both committed to serving others.
(My note: I was involved in a baseball league with its annual black-tie dinner at his uncle’s famous Taverna during the late 80’s. It’s a small world!)
On January 14, 2019, I left the office in a heavy downpour. My tires lost traction on the wet road, resulting in a head-on collision. I spent a month in the hospital recovering from severe injuries. The following year was mostly spent incapacitated; I was unable to work and fell into a deep depression, questioning why I had survived the accident.
When I finally returned to work, I realized my capacity for it had significantly diminished. I could no longer work directly in mental health, supporting those who were suffering, which led me into a deeper despair. I found myself asking, "Why did I survive this car accident?" After dedicating my career to helping others, I felt like I had been left with a life turned upside down, filled with constant physical and emotional pain. I was angry and depressed, feeling completely lost. What was I going to do now?
Then it happened—a thought struck me like a lightning bolt: Jessie and I should open a restaurant! I immediately felt a weight lift off my shoulders, and hope began to emerge once again. He hadn’t even heard my pitch yet, but my determination was intense; I just knew this was it—this was why I had survived. I was born into a family of servants. From my grandparents to my cousins, our identity is tied to facilitating joy through our talent and hard-working dedication.
I grew up witnessing patrons experience pure joy in my Uncle John’s restaurant, Papadakis Taverna, where he worked alongside my dad, Tom, for nearly 40 years to create unforgettable evenings of hospitality. I contemplated the possibilities of how a restaurant can impact a person's life and how it can serve as a reminder of the good in the world.
Jessie has a genuine passion for service. He infuses love and care for his community into his food, and you can truly taste the difference. After years of savoring his creations, we both knew it was time to share his talent on a larger scale. Thus, we embarked on the journey of developing Zuzu’s Petals, with the mission of providing the highest quality food and service to our patrons.
Now, five years into this journey, Zuzu’s Petals is celebrating its second year in business, and Kathie and I are celebrating our 2nd year of life together (December 12).
Evan and I have similar quests: cultivating joy and gratitude in every person we encounter. The film's message is timeless: life is a gift. Our lives hold more value than we realize, and we have been given the tools to touch many others.
It is a wonderful life for Evan and me, but what about Zuzu?
One of the most memorable characters in the film is George's young daughter, Zuzu Bailey, played by Karolyn Grimes. She's the adorable little girl best remembered for the iconic line "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings." Zuzu was named after a Nabisco ginger snap!
At some point, Jimmy Stewart wanted to find Karolyn but had difficulty locating her whereabouts. Stewart's secretary, tasked with finding Grimes, tracked her down; she was remarried, working full-time, and raising seven children. She was 40 and had never watched the holiday classic she was swiftly becoming known for.
Karolyn's life has not always been wonderful. In fact, tragedy beset her early and often. Her Hollywood career ended in her teens when her mother died from early--onset Alzheimer's disease and her father was killed in an automobile accident. An only child, Karolyn was orphaned and sent by the court to live in tiny Osceola, MO. Living in a less-than-desirable home, she found support from the townspeople, and, through their love and encouragement, Karolyn decided to get an education and became a medical technician.
She eventually married and had two little girls. The marriage ended in divorce. A few years later, he was killed in a hunting accident. Karolyn then married a man who had three children. They had two more together, so Karolyn raised a family of seven children. But her greatest tragedy was yet to come. Her 18-year-old son committed suicide. Karolyn describes this time in her life as the most devastating. As she climbed out of despair, her husband of 25 years died from lung cancer.
Meanwhile, after his death, the rebirth of interest in "It's a Wonderful Life" had begun. She learned that many folks had been touched in such a positive way by this film, and their lives were forever changed. That became her focus.
Meanwhile, the Sanger and Hawkins families were still getting together every Christmas and watching angels get their wings. On a whimsical day, I wrote Karlyn Grimes and enrolled Rick in her fan club. A few months after receiving the certificate below, Rick received a Christmas card pictured at the top.
Has Zuzu had a wonderful life? "Maybe when I was a child,” she says, “but not after age 15."
The misfortune Grimes has personally endured is part of what makes It's a Wonderful Life so important to her. "It's not a Christmas movie, not a movie about Jesus or Bethlehem or anything religious like that," she told the Washington Post. "It's about how we have to face life with a lot of uncertainty, and even though nobody hears it, most of us ask God to show us the way when things get really hard."
Here are the three Bailey kids, pictured in Seneca Falls, NY (model of Bedford Falls in the movie) on December 13, 2024.
I adore the movie It’s a Wonderful Life! It beautifully captures the richness of human experience and emotion, making it a profoundly moving film.
Shakespeare poses the timeless question: “To be or not to be?” Philosophers ponder, “Why not end it all?" Yet, in contrast, It’s a Wonderful Life beautifully captures the full spectrum of our experiences—joys and sorrows, hope and despair, shame and redemption—right within this beloved classic.
I grabbed my iPhone to record my Mac, capturing the perfect moment of Jimmy Stewart mimicking my friend Rick, who was himself imitating Jimmy Stewart!
We all go through ups and downs, and if we're fortunate enough to read this, many of us can still appreciate each day's successes, no matter how big or small. If you’ve followed my writing for some time, you know I’m not shy about sharing my feelings.
So, do I ever cry during this movie?
EVERY. DANG. TIME.
George Bailey: Look, who are you? Who are you really?
Clarence: I told you, George. I'm your guardian angel.
George Bailey: Yeah, well what else are you? Are you a hypnotist?
Clarence: No, of course not.
George Bailey: Then why am I seeing all these strange things?
Clarence: Don't you understand, George? It's because you were never born.
George Bailey: Well, if I was never born... who am I?
Clarence: You're nobody. You have no identity.
George Bailey: What do you mean no identity? My name is George Bailey!
Clarence: There is no George Bailey.
[George searches his pockets for identification, finds none]
Clarence: You have no papers, no cards, no driver's license, no 4F card, no insurance policy.
[George finally searches his watch pocket for the rose petals from Zuzu]
Clarence: They're not there either.
George Bailey: What?
Clarence: Zuzu's petals... You've been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you.
Merry Christmas to my Texting with One Finger friends!
Peace on Earth!
Mark