A Lesson From Moana

            This past weekend I babysat for a couple of families. The kids were great and I always enjoy watching them. One of the things that the kids and I did this weekend was watch the movie Moana. I had never seen Moana before, and while there were some parts that were a bit confusing and weird to me there were some quotes that really stuck out to me.

            The first quote was when Maui had left Moana and she was feeling like she would never be able to return the heart to Te Fiti. Moana said, “Why did you bring me here? I am not the right person. You have to choose someone else. Choose someone else.” Everyone has felt this way at one point or another. I know I sure have! It is easy to feel like you are not the “right” person or even strong enough to deal with certain situations or trials thrown your way. There is a family that I know and absolutely adore that recently had a beautiful baby girl named Peri. Early on in the pregnancy, this family faced some hard news. They learned that Peri has spina bifida, and that their baby would be facing a lot more than other babies. Getting news like this would throw a lot of people for a loop. Peri’s parents, Kate and Eric, really exemplify the meaning of the next two quotes.

            The first of the two is “The Ocean chose me for a reason.” The second quote goes hand in hand with the previous, saying, “Sometimes our strengths lie beneath the surface. Far beneath in some cases.” There are reasons that we all are facing the trials we are. We all have strengths that lie within us that we may not know are there yet. In time it will be clearer why we were given the trials we were. Kate and Eric are some of the strongest people I know. They have really taken the bull by the horns and come out on top with everything that has happened. They are definitely the perfect choice to care for and love Peri.  Kate found her strength and now has a blog to help inform others about what to expect with spina bifida. (www.ourspinabifida.com) Kate and Eric are not the only ones who have a lot of strength. Peri has two sisters, Brittain and Delaney. Both girls have been incredible. There were times when they were away from their parents. That would be extremely hard for some kids, but Brittain and Delaney were great. I have loved seeing videos and pictures of them and Peri together. Both girls love their sister and it is amazing to see how they have been super strong and brave. This family is amazing and I definitely could not imagine stronger people. Much like Moana finding out she had the strength to return the heart, the Slivinski family found the strength to get through their challenges.

            Everyone is faced with tough things, and everyone has the strength to get through these things. It is just a matter of digging deep and discovering that you are strong enough and why you were chosen to face that trial. I hope that you are all able to discover your strengths during whatever trials you may be facing.  As always, if you have a comment on my post or just want to share what you thought of the movie Moana leave it in the comments below! I hope you all have a wonderful week!

-A