My daughter was having friends over yesterday for a barbecue and drinks. Being the good mom I am, I decided to spend the evening away to provide them some privacy. Besides "The Help" was playing at one of the local theatres and I'd heard it was a good movie.

It was better than good, it was an incredible story that left me wanting more. I fell in love with the characters, got caught up in their lives, and want to know what happened to them. The story takes place in Jacksonville, Mississippi in the 1960's and centers on the lives of three women, Skeeter, Minny and Aibileen. Skeeter has recently completed her college degree while the other two are maids in the homes of her friends. The three women come together through Skeeter's desire to tell the story of "The Help". It sounds simple, but the writing and telling of the story of black women during a time of turbulence and violence could not be easy.

At times this movie wasn't comfortable to watch. It reminds us there was a time when intolerance and racism was the reality. And yet, there is so much laughter in this story, along with the fear and the tears, that I came away feeling a sense of hope. Whether the story is true or not, it touched my heart and my mind, and I couldn't hope for more than that of a movie.