BOBBEE BEE: Lessons From Steel Magnolias

1. Pain Does Not Discriminate.
When we meet Shelby she seems like a spoiled princess with every advantage. Then she nearly falls into a diabetic coma at the beauty parlor and we feel like jerks for misjudging her.  That one early scene reveals the heart of the whole film: everyone suffers; try not to do it alone.

2. Holidays & Events Are Meant To Be Celebrated.
 

And unless that celebration can be seen from space, it doesn’t count.

3. ‘Thirty Minutes of Wonderful’ Is Better ‘Than A Lifetime Of Nothing Special’.
4. ‘Personal Tragedy [Should] Not Interfere With [The] Ability To Do Good Hair’. 
Or wash your face. Or put on a pretty dress. Southern women understand half the battle to regain your footing is looking the part.

5. Perfection Is A Myth.

 

Also, boring. Every character in the film is his or her own brand of crazy, and as such, none seem crazy at all.  They seem human.  Which is why we love them so dearly.  We should be so kind to ourselves.

 

6. Old Southern Women Are ‘Supposed To Grow Vegetables In The Dirt’.

 

And wear silly hats. An utter off-color remarks. Eccentricity is our birthright.

7. There Is No Such Thing As ‘Too Much’.

 

This applies to hair, jewelry, laughter, heel height, cake, cleavage, pulled pork, emotion, faith, persistence, and revelation.  Contrary to the old adage, less is actually less, and more is divine.

8. Busy Is Better Than Therapy.

 

Just as M’Lynn goes right on cooking as Shelby delivers the news of her health-threatening pregnancy, women know that when calamity comes knocking, you don’t sit on your fanny and do nothing.  Productivity beats wallowing every time.

 

9. Women Can, Should, And Do Share Everything.

 

TMI did not exist in the world of Steel Magnolias, and the women were the better for it.


10. Life Is A Joking Matter. 

 

Southerners know the more serious the situation, the more critical it is that we laugh.  Humor is as lifesaving as any flotation device in the rough sea.”