When my youngest son was 8 years old, he promised me in all sincerity that he would always go to see Disney movies with me. No matter how old he got. I was extremely happy at that thought as I love a good Disney movie, especially animated. Well that promise turned a bit sour for more than a few years after he turned 12, but today, 12 years later, he kept good on his promise. He took me to see ‘Finding Dory’.

And what a lovely movie it was. Not so impactful as ‘Finding Nemo’ but still funny and filled with undertones – no pun intended for those of us who have seen the movie.

Dory was her beautiful self, filled with wonder, fearless in her ‘living in the moon’ kind of way, a leader, a true friend, a heart full of love. You watch the movie with a smile on your face, most of the time anyway for yes, there were tear jerking moments, even for my son.

But Dory taught me a few lessons. She taught me (the always have a plan person) that you don’t always need to have a plan. You can wing it taking one step at a time, making one choice at a time. She taught me that there’s always a way – to never give up – you just need to look at things from a different angle to be able to move forward.

She reminded me that family is everything, that going home has got to be the most reassuring feeling in the world. And this took me back to my late teens when I was studying abroad. The reassurance I felt during those moments when you weren’t too sure what your next step should be. When you found yourself in situations that were touch and go. When you felt that you needed someone who knew you inside out to bear your soul to. The reassurance that home was always there and you could always go back.

Knowing this kept me going, experiencing, learning, winning, growing up. Dory had certainly grown up by the time she went back home. She had crossed the length of the ocean twice in her lifetime, overcame many hurdles, uncertainties, moments of loneliness, and because of her fearless nature, and subconsciously her knowledge that home would always be there, she was able to return home to parents whose love, devotion and faith in her never waned.

Pretty deep for a child’s movie but if we take the time to look at all Disney’s animated movies there is always a lesson for the parents. Lessons that we would do well to learn.