"The thing that makes Woody special, is he'll never give up on you... ever. He'll be there for you, no matter what."

I love Toy Story 3. It's weird, I like it more every single time I see it, and it always seems to mean more with each viewing. It's so nice to see a story like that, a story I grew up with, come full circle in such a poignant way. So fantastically done - and it remained honest and true to the characters, had a big heart, but didn't try to drown you in sentimentality. I wish Pixar made all animated films, I really do. (And this is not to say that I think this movie deserves to be nominated for best pictures at the Oscars, but I still love it nonetheless.)

As a result to re-watching the movie over the weekend, I also decided to rewatch one of my favorite movies from my childhood: The Land Before Time. I used to watch that movie endlessly. I would talk along with the characters' lines. I'd sit in my Sunday dress and just watch it on repeat on Sunday afternoons. I'd talk about it at the dinner table all the time, retelling the adventure of Little Foot and his friends to find the Great Valley. When I was 7, my mom gave me a plush Little Foot Doll for my birthday and I still have it to this day. When Andy hesitated in giving Woody away at the end of Toy Story 3, and when he was describing him, I tell ya - that always chokes me up, because that's how I felt about Little Foot. He was with me through so much, and I loved him, honestly, and I know it's stupid to love inanimate things or to care so much about toys as an adult - but even though I don't play with Little Foot anymore, there's something comforting about him. He makes me feel safe and loved.

Funny the associations we keep over the years, and the memories. I remember seeing The Land Before Time in theaters as if it happened yesterday - and that's what I really miss the most about being a kid. Being that excited and having the capacity to feel so much joy over something so little. But I guess sometimes I feel like that - like, around Christmas or on the first days of Fall. Whenever I listen to an album by The Bangles. Whenever my mom calls just to tell me she loves me. There's so much negativity everywhere, that sometimes it's important to tap into that pool of childish joy that's normally buried too deep within ourselves to touch. And sometimes, we can't quite reach it, but boy, when we can... what feels better than that?