“Life is a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get”, says Forrest Gump recalling his mother’s advice. He’s talking about serendipity: bumping into someone who becomes a lifelong friend, winding up in situations that grant unforeseeable opportunities. It’s when everything seems to work out, but how is almost a mystery. Such is Forrest Gump’s life. The guy literally runs out of a physical disability, meets the love of his life in elementary school, plays championship football at Alabama, earns the Medal of Honor in Vietnam, meets multiple U.S. presidents, marathons across the country, starts a lucrative shrimp restaurant corporation, and makes all sorts of connections and friends. In pursuit of his mother’s advice, when Forrest faces a sample of chocolate from the box, he takes it without hesitation. Through bullets and bombs in Vietnam he rescues his lieutenant, his dear friend Bubba, and the rest of the men he can find. When Jenny meddles with the wrong crowd, Forrest protects her from getting hurt. When his mother becomes fatally ill, Forrest supports her and heeds her last words. He’s almost like a computer program – run it and Forrest will do everything he can for the people he loves, always putting himself last. While this characteristic of Forrest is admirable, it also reveals him at times to be naive. Until her final days, Jenny clearly doesn’t reciprocate Forrest’s feelings for her. But Forrest doesn’t get the message, so time and time again he picks her up when she falls and reenters her life. Jenny doesn’t appreciate Forrest’s commitment, duty, and care to her and to everyone else around him until the end of her life. At first glance Forrest may not appear to be very bright, but he is selfless to the bone. He takes advantage of the resources and opportunities at his disposal. He collects and harvests bits and pieces of wisdom from those close to him. He runs. And when it’s all over, that box of chocolates is just an empty box and the life of Forrest Gump a real treat.