On our trip to Disney back in May, our family got to experience many great things. Some of the experiences, however, were reserved only for the bloggers. One such experience was seeing the first half-hour of Finding Dory.

It was incredible.

We were asked not to share a special wee-little detail of the movie just yet so that it could remain a surprise for audiences around the world. I did not share. As of today, you can go see Finding Dory for yourself and experience what we experienced in the first half-hour ( and then some) .

While I completely appreciated that wee-little detail, what resonated with me about Finding Dory is the very reason I think that every child…and parent…and person should see this movie:

Finding Dory teaches us that everybody has a story.

Dory has a story.

Each one of us has a story and that story makes us who we are today.

Sometimes our story defines how we see ourselves….and we’re not always so easy on ourselves.

A little quirky, maybe. A little different, perhaps…A little flawed.

We try to teach our children that different is not bad.  That there is no such thing as flawless. That it’s our differences and imperfections that make us who we are.  They make us unique.

It’s not always convincing.

In addition to how our story can influence how we see ourselves, it can also influence how we see others.  Do we scan for the good or the bad?  The light or the dark?

Pay attention to what Dory sees in herself, and what she sees in others.

Pay attention to how her story has defined her and how she grows through her journey. What changes and what will never change.

Watch with your kids and talk about it…

What makes Dory so special?  What can we learn from Dory?

What does that teach us about ourselves?

Again, I don’t want to give away too much (and I only saw the 1st half hour!) , but perhaps when you go see Finding Dory, you will also find something about yourself.

Your children may learn something about finding the good in others…and in themselves.

Your children may learn to embrace the unique qualities in others…and in themselves.

The best part?  When we learn to embrace differences, we learn to stop judging others…and we learn to stop judging ourselves…or at least to stop judging ourselves so harshly.

Go see Finding Dory…You may just end up finding yourself.

Wishing you a Deep See-ing experience 😉

Tanya