I think we all have those movies that, when they’re on TV, encourage us to skip whatever activities we had planned.

When I was younger, it was The Princess Bride. These days (although I realize it’s nearly 20 years old), it’s Sleepless in Seattle.

On TV, they allow 2.5 hours for it. When it’s on back to back, that’s a whopping five hours it consumes. And I enjoy every minute of it.

I have a drawer full of chick flicks — Sleepless, You’ve Got Mail, the Bridget Jones movies, Must Love Dogs — and while I’m glad they’re there to watch whenever I please, there’s something about flipping channels after a long day and finding one of your favorites on the tube. It’s as though the programming gods planted it there to be discovered and the fact that it’s on — seemingly at a time when you probably need it the most — makes it that much more enjoyable.

Sometime last fall, WEtv hoarded those five hours on a Saturday when I’d planned to be productive. I pushed laundry duty aside, skipped the grocery store and missed out on getting a fresh bottle of root lifter from the salon.

I’d never been more content to not have clean sheets, to have bare cabinets and flat hair.

The next morning, I got back on track with the laundry, buzzed the grocery store and visited the salon so that I’d, once again, be able to amplify my roots.

Last weekend, I was hoping I’d stumble across any of the above movies while I channel surfed. Nothing. Not even Family Feud reruns or The Golden Girls. My lower right eyelid had a case of the work blues and had been twitching for weeks. It was weary, and I’m confident a chick-flick would’ve made it happy.

I settled for some cooking shows. The twitch carried on.

And again through Sunday, although it did relax and chill out somewhat while enjoying wine the night before.

Tonight, sometime between the end of the first Sleepless in Seattle and the middle of the second, I realized it was gone. Nothing a little chick-flick movie magic can’t cure.

This evening I’m thankful for the calming effect those little things in life provide. Whether they bring the heart rate down, help us sleep easier at night, encourage us to slow down and smell a rose or two or if they just stop a pesky eye twitch, they save us, to a degree. And that’s their magic.