Child at Heart: Life Lessons in Children's Films

One of the downsides of my personality is that I am a big kid at heart! I have been known to drag people across stores if I see a cute teddy, pointing and shrieking like a child.

I still have a teddy that I cuddle in bed (actually, it's a wheat beanbag sloth that I can heat when my restless legs syndrome is making my joints hurt!).

My favorite children's films

The best films in the world are children's animation. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is my number 1. Pooh encompasses me; I eat too much, look much better in just a t-shirt, and live with imaginary animals! LOL!

Dr. Seuss always makes me think. I would imagine that is what he was going for. The film that hits me the most is Horton Hears a Who.

Horton (the elephant) hears a "Yelp!" come from a tiny dust speck that floats past him in the breeze. Believing a society of microscopic creatures are living on the speck, Horton captures the dust and pops it atop a flower to keep it safe. Horton finds that the entire village of Whoville lives on the speck. We then follow the story to unravel the morals.

Life lessons in film

I believe Horton Hears a Who and The Lorax are 2 of the greatest life lesson films out there.

Don't ignore the small signals

Horton teaches us that something so tiny can experience massive changes based on how we look after it. In addition to "Listen to the small things," the deep down internal creeps signal the onset of a restless legs syndrome (RLS) attack. If we ignore them, things can get intense. If we ignore something that we think is right, we may truly miss the important things, the things that make us special.

Remember what sustains us

The Lorax teaches us that we should not obliterate nature for profits. We have to have trees, bees, and fleas to ensure our survival and the survival of those we love, including the animals that live within. The palm oil devastation has all but completely wiped out the majestic orangutan for monetary gain.¹ In a similar light, if we forget that our medication maintains our RLS, one lapse in judgment can bring a catastrophic attack, lasting days in a row, with no cessation.

You are not alone

I spend celebratory days wandering around, hoping and praying that the creeping feeling from my RLS doesn't start too early, forcing me to beat a retreat to a room where I can shout at my legs without frightening the children! This condition can remove you from so many situations, leaving you feeling truly alone, battling with your own body in solitude.

When the hard times hit, and your RLS is driving you mad, please remember, we are all but a keystroke away. If you feel lonely, reach out, there are hundreds of others out there doing the "RLS Riverdance at 3 AM." If we can help, we will.