The shows we watch as kids teach us a lot. We find ourselves connecting to characters on different levels because of where we are in our lives. Most often, the movies teach us to fight for what we believe in and they teach us how to be strong (especially if you are female).
Well, the cartoons I watched as a kid taught me a lot about diabetes too. Some things I didn't even understand until here recently. Please let me share with you what I learned from some of my favorite Disney and other cartoon characters.
Stitch, from Lilo and Stitch
"Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten."
Stitch taught me how to tame my little monster. He was created to be evil, but he found a way to be good instead. I kind of relate my diabetes to him sometimes. He was very misunderstood and so am I. He found people that loved him and made him family, and he loved them enough to try. I'm strong enough to find a way to fight my evil, too.
Dory, from Finding Nemo
"Just keep swimming."
I love that. Dory showed me soooo many things about life, just by this one quote! When I'm having a rough day with diabetes and I feel like I can't take it anymore, I pray and I remind myself: "what do we do? We swim, swim!" This character has helped me get through so many rough days. She taught me how to fight with a smile.
Elsa, from Frozen
"Let it go."
"Don't let them in don't let them see." Okay, so maybe I don't have dangerously awesome ice powers that could potentially kill people. But I definitely have something inside me that I've tried to hide on more than one occasion. I used to try to keep it locked up so no one had to see what I struggle with. If I don't struggle, that makes me strong. Right? Wrong. Everyone struggles. We just struggle differently. Elsa taught me to "let it go," because I'm happier when I don't have to worry about being a perfect diabetic. I worry about enough as is, I shouldn't have to worry about being perfect on top of it. I read this thing one time about her... apparently the movie was originally scripted with Elsa as the bad guy. One of the production people had a child with Type 1 Diabetes, and the child related Elsa's loneliness to their own. I cannot tell you how true that is. We feel alone. Like no one understands what we go through sometimes. I know that my family helps me get through everything, and I can't be more grateful, but they will never know first-hand how it feels. I never want them to, but it still makes me feel alone.
Kayley and Garrett, from Quest for Camelot
"You don't know my daughter."
I actually learned a lot from these two! This is one of my favorite movies. If you haven't seen it, Kayley is very stubborn and Garrett is very blind. What did Garrett teach me? I can do whatever I want to, despite my disability. I could even live in an evil enchanted forest and "share my world with no one else, all by myself, I stand alone." I don't want to, but I could. I'm strong enough to do that. What did Kayley teach me? Two things. First: It is okay to ask for help. She needed Garrett, and he needed her. They make such a good team and they are only complete when they are together. Second: Momma has faith in you, even when she makes you feel like she doesn't. The mother daughter relationship in the movie is beautiful. When Kayley escapes to save Camelot, someone tells her mother that she'll never make it. The response is amazing. "You don't know my daughter." I imagine that is what Mom says when someone doesn't think I can handle diabetes. "You don't know my daughter."
Belle and Beast, from Beauty and the Beast
"The Beast" isn't always so bad.
Initially, Belle was terrified. But she soon learned that "the Beast" wasn't really a beast at all. That teaches me exactly what Disney intended to teach me. Just because people look different doesn't mean they are evil. Or however you want to word it. But it also teaches me that there is nothing wrong with me, just because I am different from a lot of people. I need to treat others with respect and know that they are people, but I need to not expect people to treat me differently because I am a diabetic. My beast does not define me.
Anastasia
Actually, I can.
Sometimes I may not do it gracefully. But yes, I can. Anastasia taught me that I can fight, despite the fact that I'm a girl. Sometimes girls are stronger than guys! She had some pretty tough circumstances to overcome, but she definitely beat the odds. Not always gracefully, but she did. She taught me not to give up, kind of like Dory, but she also taught me that it's okay to be me while I do that. I'm not graceful all the time. No one is. Perfection is impossible and overrated. I'm beautiful, despite my issues. I'm strong, despite my weaknesses. I'm capable, despite my incapability. I can, despite how hard I will have to fight to achieve it.
Tow Mater, from Cars
"What's wrong with rusty cars?"
There is obviously something different about me. It can make me feel like less of a person, or like I'm just occupying space. I'm broken. I'm not like you. But what's wrong with rusty cars? There is nothing wrong with me, regardless of how different I am. I can definitely have fun with my different-ness! I don't have to feel like I'm just occupying space and I'm a waste, because there's nothing wrong with my kind of brokenness. It's just broken differently than everyone else. I'm still working, and I'm still a person. I don't deserve to be treated like less of a person because of my disability, and I shouldn't allow people to see me that way.
I'm sure there are plenty of other characters that have taught me things. I just can't think of any right now! :) I think a lot of them kind of repeated themselves, but they each taught me individual lessons about my brokenness and how "normal" I am. They taught me how I should be treated, and that I shouldn't settle for anything less than respect. They taught me how to be strong.
God taught me all of this, obviously, but He chose to use these characters in a lot of ways to do that.
