By RACHEL HARRIS

Honesty and faith. Love vs. lust. It’s all about finding the ingredients in the recipe of true happiness.

The mysteries of life flash before us incessantly. We sometimes choose to look the other way or maybe we’ve taught ourselves not to notice the smallest things.

For me, the tiniest components of happiness sprout from the stability and security of family. Ease of mind, confidence, loyalty, grace, patience – the virtues one absorbs only after years of family interaction. Family is a haven. It’s what we always remember, where we’ll always go, and what we’ll always want to have.

My strong, and obvious, sensitivity on the family issue is probably what caused me to be so responsive to the movie I saw last weekend, “Unfaithful,” starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane.

The movie was really pretty good, and I’m not just saying that because I’m a Gere fan.

The all-American, well-rounded family is presented as the subject, seemingly flawless. The couple’s relationship appears quite sound. The family of three, husband, wife and son, live peacefully in their comfortable suburban house.

The stream of affection is shattered by the mother/wife figure, played by Lane, as she detours through a passionate, hidden affair with a young Frenchman in the city. The incident is depicted as a casual chain of events. The distinct point of the relationship’s beginning is hard to recognize.

The rest of the movie is about the family’s downfall and the emotional conflicts between husband and wife. A surprise ending shakes the ground and almost levels the playing field for the viewer.

I won’t give away the ending, but I strongly encourage you to see it yourself.

I will only say that I walked away from the theater with this odd sense of betrayal and discomfort.

The earthquake of adultery rocked this family, as it does all families in that situation. The trust of which marriage is built on is shattered, and there is an overwhelming cloud of hopelessness as the couple struggles to pull their lives together.

I am once again reminded of the importance of the force of family. Gere’s character’s life is destroyed, and his reactions are a prime example of his transformation into a different person. He can’t focus at work and is completely distraught.

When our families disintegrate, where do we go?

I’m not looking to share a lesson of the day or even suggest what others should feel or do. I’m merely reminded of the intense grace and sense of completion we receive from our families.

So, pull it together, feel the love, give some hugs at home, and appreciate the compassion that so many others will never come to know. And go see the movie, of course.

RACHEL HARRIS is a summer intern reporter for L’Observateur. She may be contacted at (985) 652-9545.