Tigger Movie and Family

I got Lil M the Tigger Movie for her birthday (as part of her presents). The premise of the movie is that Tigger is distraught and wants to find his "real" tigger family. He waits for them. He pines for them. Then his friends write him a letter and Tigger automatically assumes it is from his "real" family... so he sets up a party and when his friends try to make him feel better by dressing up as tiggers... he has fun until he finds out that they aren't really tiggers at all... and not his REAL family... so he searches and searches... until his friends find him in the snow storm and try to get him to come home. Climax is that he saves his friends and eventually comes to the realization that they were his true family after all.

Can you say tear your heart out? Over an hour of rip your guts out... you're not my real family... and then 2 minutes of resolution that his friends of the forest really are his real family...

Really. It is a great movie. It did, however, make me quite uncomfortable for most of the movie. And, that is likely due to the fact that that is what we are told as adoptive families... we aren't the real family. We're a substitute. We're not as good as... and that is not the message convey to my daughter. Don't get me wrong. She's going to hear it. And, I have no idea how she will react... and, thank God, this movie did have a good resolution. Just because we don't necessarily look like the people we call family, doesn't mean we aren't just as good as the rest of them. And it doesn't mean we aren't a true, real, bonafide family. We ARE. :)

So, part of the reason I bring this up is because it is how I feel about "our" family. The people who have been our true family are some of the ones that aren't even biologically related to us. That goes for me... some of the people who care about me most are friends I've made along the way in this life. And for that and for them... I am SO thankful. I can always count on them to be there. And, you know... that's what's most important in the end.

Who did you love and who loved you? And, did you participate?

Now, I am by no means perfect. I've let my friends down more than I have ever thought or wanted to. I think Tigger knew all along, as I have known all along, that the people who surround you with love are the keepers... and we've just got to move forward and keep those relationships going.

I hope Lil M learns that too. :) Actually, I believe she will.

We had a GREAT birthday party this weekend for Lil M. I will post about that and about her last swim lessons next. :)

Peace.