We all grew up watching Disney, at least most of us did. I breathed Disney, I played Disney, I loved Disney, but more than anything I watched Disney. Today as I was sick in bed the only thing I wanted to watch was Disney movies. As I lay in bed watching Toy Story 3 I thought of all of the lessons I learned from good old Walt.
Disney taught me the following:
If you sing while walking alone in a forest you will find the man of your dreams (literally)
Toys do have feelings ( I knew it)
Seeing someone for who they are inside softens even the toughest of beasts
If you rebel against your father you get to marry a prince and become human (huh)
To be a princess you can only have 1 parent
If you eat food from a stranger a prince will come wake you up from death
If you tell lies your nose will grow to unnatural lengths
Attaching balloons to a house will make it drift away to precisely where you need to go (how convenient)
You can sleep for 100 years and wake up in the exact same state you fell asleep in...perfect
Monsters only scare you for their job, they are actually quite cuddly
Dogs can fall in love over spaghetti, and Tramp is just a name, not a derogatory term
If you kiss a frog you actually turn into a frog (boy have I had that backwards for years!)
Mice actually befriend elephants not scare them
Little boys can be raised by wolves...and panthers
Love can be found in an instant, or in a glass slipper
If you have big leg muscles you can basically surf up and down trees no problem
Chanting "I do believe in fairies" brings fairies back to life
Sharks can control their hunger for fish, so why not humans?
Women can pass for men as long as the other men wear buns and armor
The most important lesson I learned is that dreams do come true, and Disney allows that to happen, no matter what age you are. I mean what other place would there be full grown adults pushing past little kids in a parade just to see their favorite princess? (ok maybe that is just me). Or what other movie would bring tears to your eyes as love blossomed between prince and princess or between toy and boy? Today I am grateful for Disney, where dreams come true, and I never have to grow up.
This world is backwards. People that should be recognized are not. I am obviously talking about teachers. Teachers shape the world. Teachers inspire, develop, nurture, and encourage the leaders of our future. Teachers' are the leaders of today. Yet, they are not noticed. They are not given proper funds. They are not recognized for the backbreaking and heart wrenching details that play into the life of a teacher. Doctors and lawyers are important, and should be recognized and well paid. But what would they have become if they had not had a teacher? A teacher who cared enough to help them succeed? Where would you be without your teachers? Yes, "boys and girls", teachers is plural. There may be one or two teachers that stand out above the rest, but we have all been touched by many many many teachers. I estimated and by the end of high school I had had over 60 teachers. By the time I finished college I had had over 100 teachers throughout my time in school. From age 5 to 21 I had had over 100 men and women affect my life for better.
Teachers' see and hear some of the most heartbreaking and life shattering life stories. Stories that you should never hear, especially because they are so often told about the students that you care for and love every day in your classroom. Teachers work tirelessly to ensure that EVERY child benefits, that EVERY child is being serviced to reach his or her greatest potential. Teachers raise the children of today. They are team members with parents. Teachers are advocates for a higher and better society. Please don't stand in their way, don't bring down all of their hard work. Please don't demean or judge a woman or man who chooses to be a teacher. When you do you are demeaning all of the hundreds of men and women that you praised as "teacher" throughout your life. The men and women who helped you grow to be who you are today. Please don't underestimate the power of a teacher, for this world is backwards. Those that work in the dirt are creating the most beautiful flowers. Don't step on our garden.
My name is Karla Horne. I go by Ms. Horne, Miss Karla, Karla, Horne, Hey you, um, but most importantly "teacher".
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have found my one true love the first time around. Then I think about all of the experiences, loves, losses, and wonderful friends I made over the dating process and realize each person that came into and out of my life was there for a reason. I realize this might be an odd blogpost to write, but it is how I am feeling. I have been thinking about love and the many forms it takes, especially because we are so close to Valentine's day. "Love month", as I like to call it, is approaching, and yet there is so much more than just the romantic love that should be celebrated. These are the types of love I consider worth celebrating:
1. The love of a mother for her child
2. The love of a father and his baby girl
3. The love of a blossoming romance
4. The love of siblings that is often expressed in quarrels and made up in cuddles
5. The love of a best friend, who knows that no matter how far a part you are, or how little you may talk, nothing could ever break or harm the friendship you hold
6. The love of a teacher for her students, a kind of love that so often goes unappreciated or unnoticed except between the teacher and student themselves.
7. The love of a mother and a father for each other. I feel that this love might be so very different from the love of a young couple. The love of parents for one another is a deep bond that I look forward to experiencing one day.
8. The love of an old couple who has been together through it all and back again.
9. The love of a grandparent for their grandchildren. It's often hard to describe but so easy to feel
10. The love of relatives for relatives, no matter how distantly related you may be, family is family
11. The love of a pet and its owner, the looks of love and adoration, the comfort received, the loyalty
12. The love of guardian angels protecting us from the other side of the veil
13. The deep love rooted in human nature to be charitable to one another, even the strangers we meet
14. The love of a religious leader and his or her congregation, something that moves deep inside of them and whispers "protect them"
15. The love of our Savior, Jesus Christ, when He gave His life so we could live
But most importantly...The love of a Father in Heaven, who gave His Only Begotten Son so He could have all of His children back. A Father who never leaves our sides even when we leave His. A Father who desperately longs for us to choose the right and to return to His loving embrace. A Father who turned His back on His Son, even Jesus Christ, as He suffered for the sins of mankind.How hard that must have been for Him.
That, my friends, is love. That is the love that should be celebrated not once a year, but each and every day. This Valentines day I challenge myself and whoever continued reading this post to find someone new to love and to express that love to everyday. Whether it be a long lost friend, a stranger, a family member, a significant other, or your Heavenly Father. Express it in your words and actions. Love is an expression of understanding. When we love we express to others that we understand our relationship with them. It expresses gratitude and charity. One of my favorite movies Dan In Real Life states "Love isn't a feeling. It's an ability."
What a powerful statement. Take the time to enable yourself to love, and love in many different ways.
I am constantly surrounded by love. Why not show it a little more?
