The Best Possession

"It's very important to praise people early. Otherwise they might die of disappointment."--Ludovic Meyer

That is one of my favorite lines in the movie, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont. Ludovic says it to Mrs. Palfrey during the park bench scene. His mother was disappointed in him. I guess that she thinks of him as a failure because he owns nothing: he earns money as a street musician so that he can focus on his writing. Mrs. Palfrey sees a beautiful soul and thinks he's wonderful. I want to be like Mrs. Palfrey.

The friendship begins when Mrs. Palfrey trips and falls in front of Ludovic's apartment. He runs to assist her, takes her in, bandages her wound, and makes her a cup of tea. I loved his enthusiasm and gentleness. The friendship grows as they play along with Mrs. Palfrey's fellow residents at the Claremont retirement hotel, who mistakenly assume that Ludovic is Mrs. Palfrey's grandson.

One of the most touching scenes is when Ludovic "interviews" Mrs. Palfrey. He asks her to name her favorite song. She says it is "For All We Know", adding that he's probably never heard of it. He agrees, but then he starts playing it on his guitar and sings it to her. I liked it so much, I went looking for the song and bought Donny Hathaway's version of it. I know the song's message is really a romantic one, but I choose to understand the "we may never meet again" line in a much broader way. I want to approach all my relationships like that, because truly, we know not the day nor the hour.