Wolfsmilk

Anyway, my daughter had her first movie theatre experience last night. We took her to see one of her favorite movies, My Neighbor Totoro. I felt this would be a gently introduction to the big, cinematic screen. She enjoyed herself immensely. I even snuck in some healthy popcorn and her favorite chocolate chip bar so she could still feel the full impact of munching on snacks in a theatre. My husband and in-laws joined us. My husband has watched the movie with us at home several times, but my in-laws have never sat down to watch it before. Even they said they really liked it. It was my first time seeing it in a theatre, so my inner child was giddy. And again, this is all part of my big master plan to get my in-laws more involved in the way I feel they should be. This movie it’s important to my daughter, its message is important, the way it is so relatable to everyone is important. I wanted them to feel it, to reminisce on the innocence of childhood, to understand that not every moment in a child’s life should be structured and guided rigidly by an adult. That children have their own worlds and they are just as important. Also the importance of the natural world and how it can have such a huge impact on a child. So, while this entire experience was very much for my daughter, it was for us adults too. And now maybe when I tell them I have found some other children’s movie or book or whatever, from some country far away, they won’t look at me like I have three heads and ask why I don’t just allow her to be submerged in modern Disney slop (and honestly, the only two Disney movies she has ever really enjoyed are Robin Hood and The Little Mermaid, all the other Disney classics she’s seen - which admittedly are few and far between - she has showed no interest in).

I guess the point I’m trying to get across (especially to my mother-in-law) is that just because it is veered toward children doesn’t mean it possesses anything that nourishes the soul. Totoro nourishes a child’s soul. Little Bear nourishes a child’s soul. Bluey is fun and entertaining,funny and I think really helps both children and parents navigate a modern world where children depend so much on their parents in ways they didn’t used to. But movies like Moana (my MIL wanted to take her to see it with her cousin) are very shallow, despite their attempts to send a deeper message. They lack real artistry, they lack a palatable, realistic depth, they lack peace and time for the child to fully absorb what is happening, or what they’re seeing.

My point is, I guess, that any media my daughter consumes right now needs to have these qualities, and I needed them to experience it for themselves so they could at least begin to understand.

Other than that, I woke up today at 4am with my husband so he could start showing me some stretch techniques. I plan to do this every day with him until I feel comfortable doing it by myself. And I’m hoping this will ease me in and prepare my body for actual workouts soon.

There’s a lot going on for me at the moment. They are small, subtle things, but they take a ton of thought, care and consistency. I’m trying to go easy on myself and my daughter but some days are very hard (for both of us). But I continue trying to push through it all and keep us moving forward.