On the first morning of Summer Break, I found “Toy Story 3”
on our DVR and pressed “start” on a whim.
As the movie played, there were dishes in the sink and laundry to be
done. I never intended to sit down
and watch the entire thing that day.
What’s more, I never dreamed my two-year-old would have a long enough
attention span to sit right beside me and do the same. (What kind of toddler sits for 90
minutes?) Three weeks later, my son and I are still performing this daily
ritual: Get Mommy’s pillow. Get
G-Love’s pillow. Get Blanket. Press start. Say, “Pixar.”
Say, “Oooh…Disney World.”
Then “Here comes the train!” and we’re off... Big Daddy is not so sure this is a good idea. G is becoming possibly
obsessed. But, I’m not sure which
one of us is more enthralled by this film. In the three weeks we have performed this routine, the
Disney Pixar “Story” has revealed some deep truths to me and I think I might be
unlocking the secrets of the universe from my living room chair. Here are the
revelations I have come to understand, in the order in which they were gleaned:
Week 1. We
should recycle.
Simple stuff. Everything we own exists to serve. Our possessions have a purpose. If we have outgrown
something, we should donate it to an individual or an institution. Our stuff
doesn’t want to die. It can make someone else happy. (Note: This mainly applies to objects with a face. If it does not have a face, let your
conscience be your guide, but feel free to chuck it if you must.) This week was easy. I mastered understanding around Day 2, and
the rest of the week was pretty much review.
Week 2. God loves us.
Ok, y'all. Week 2 is when it started getting real up in here for me. We have a benevolent caretaker who holds us in the palm of
his hand. He is represented by Andy
in the movie. Woody represents the
son of God, the chosen one. He
reminds the others that their job is to “be there for Andy.” Buzz represents the Holy Spirit. He swoops in and makes the impossible
possible in the nick of time. The
attic is our idea of heaven: safe, but boring. Most of us give lip service to the idea that one day we will
go to the attic and it will be fine, but in all honesty, nobody wants to
go. We cling to what we know, and
feel scared of what comes next.
Sunyside is the world today. Woody must go to Sunnyside to be with other
toys in order to “save” them.
Lotso has turned away from God.
Lotso says, “We’re all just trash.
Waiting to be thrown away!”
Lotso is not the Devil, but man’s own fear. Oprah would say I had an A-ha Moment here, and I ain't talking about no 80s Norwegian pop band. Lotso endeavors to control his environment on his own because
he has lost faith in others. Faith
in our purpose and sticking together are the two things that give our lives
richness and meaning. Even before
the fires of doom, if we all hold hands, we will be ok. The claw can come and save you at your
darkest hour. Sometimes you’re under the claw. Sometimes you are operating the
claw for others. Say that again. Sometimes you’re under the claw. Sometimes you are operating the
claw for others. We take turns saving each other from the inferno. Hell is not the inferno. It is being strapped to the front of a
truck. This was an emotional f#@&ing week.
Week 3. Heaven
is a place on Earth.
Belinda Carlisle was right! I am reminded of a story I have
heard that made a big impression on me:
A certain saint asked God to show him the difference
between heaven and hell. So God sent an angel to take him, first to hell. There
he saw men and women seated around a large table with all kinds of delicious
food. But none of them was eating. They were all sad and yawning. The saint
asked one of them, “Why are you not eating?” And he showed the saint his hand.
A long fork about 4ft long was strapped to their hands such that each time they
tried to eat they only threw the food on the ground. “What a pity” said the
saint. Then the angel took him to heaven. There he was surprised to find an
almost identical setting as in hell: men and women sitting round a large table
with all sorts of delicious food, and with a four-foot fork strapped to their
arms. But unlike in hell, the people here were happy and laughing. “What!” said
the saint to one of them, “How come you are happy in this condition?” “You
see,” said the man in heaven, “Here we feed one another.”
Sunnyside is Earth.
Much like the large table laden with delicious food, the feast is what
we make of it. In the immortal
words of Ken, “Sunnyside could be cool and groovy if we treated each other
fair.” The afterlife is like
nothing we can imagine, so we ought to just let go and focus on doing the best
we can where we are. There will be
another plane of existence in which we are reunited with loved ones and experience
all the joy of before and them some.
It might be Bonnie’s house; it might be something else. With a bit of bravery, a whole lot of
humor, our imaginations intact and our friends close, we are well equipped for
the journey… “To infinity and beyond!” Whew. I’m spent.
Thanks, Disney Pixar, for this amazingly touching film. It is firmly etched in the Family
Hughes list of favorites. In the
interest of expanding our horizons, however, we will be studying Eastern
philosophy and religion next month with “Kung Fu Panda.” Our minds are open… so are my tear ducts and a box of Kleenex!
