I have the joy of riding around town with a 2 year old, 13 yo and 16 yo. The majority of the time Zoie and I are together zipping from Target to the park, but there is only one thing you’ll find playing in my van. I just hit my 799th episode of Finding Nemo!! I can sing every song with Zoie, repeat favorite lines, even sniffle again and again when Dory reminds Marlin to just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. Do you know how many life lessons are in Finding Nemo? Well, I do…
I’ve counted every one of them: Love conquers all, never give up, fish are friends not food, family is worth fighting for, obey your dad, don’t fall off the wagon, stay strong and courageous… fear not, don’t bang on a fish tank… the lessons go on and on. I shamelessly admit, I boo hoo everytime Dory begs Marlin to let her stay with him despite his broken fishy heart “I look at you and I’m home”, or when Dory remembers Nemo after bumping into him and triggering her short term memory loss.
But, my all time favorite part of the story is when they are riding on the East Australian current with Crush, the 150 year old sea turtle, who helps the overly cautious dad understand that there comes a time we have to let go and allow our children to conquer life on their own.
snifffff sniffff
Everyone needs a Dory in their life. Dory was always a motivational, uplifting, and encouraging friend to Marlin. She was a happy fish, not a sucker fish. She saw the positives, not the negatives. She knew how important it was to help a friend and stick with them through thick or thin. She saw life as half full, not half empty. Dory knows that life is an adventure! Ha! Are you still impressed … I told you I watched this video 799 times!
Of course, I have to brag and let you know that Zoie knows more lines by heart than I do. She adores Nemo and giggles, screams, and dramatically animates the story from start to finish. I can’t wait to start up the van and swim with Zoie and the crazy cast of fish for my 800th episode!!!
What video do you endure enjoy watching over and over with your kids?
If you haven’t watched the amazing video Finding Nemo in a long time… take a peek at this short trailer.
