Being a mom means I watch kid movies. A lot of kid movies...a lot of times. They all end up making me cry, except for Megamind, which makes it a very good movie for me to watch. But this week we happened to watch Toy Story 2 and besides making me cry, it made me think.
When the series started in the original Toy Story, we learned two important lessons: 1. Friends are extremely valuable. 2. Know your purpose in life. Of course, as a kid, I saw this lesson: Your toys are severely neglected and sad. Dig them out from under your bed and play with them...stat!
But Toy Story 2 is where things start to get interesting. We meet someone who is bitter and jaded and convinced that your optimism and enthusiasm is a sign of naivete and ignorance. For the first time, we can see a glimpse of what lies down the road and it doesn't look good...old age, poor health, loss of purpose, and neglect. And this is the crux of the matter...as much as we don't want to admit it, initially, the old man is right. It is absolutely inevitable that heartbreak is down the road. The only way to avoid it is to stay aloof and indifferent...never really being loved but also never having your love unrequited. And that option seems pretty alluring, for a moment at least. To be worshiped and adored! How great it would be!
And that is where this kid movie taught me an extremely valuable lesson...it's about the ride. It's about making the choice to take a risk. It's about knowing that the path leads to heartbreak, but it's the path with the greatest adventure and the best view. Expectations will be sometimes unmet and your seeming perfection may end up muddied along the way. Some of us may even lose an arm! But there is no greater calling in life than life itself...that is to say, to live, to share experiences with friends and loved ones, and to let tomorrow be tomorrow. Because...the greatest thing you'll ever learn/is just to love, and be loved in return.
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