​Still Searching, But I Found Dory

In 2003, I was that seven year old girl who’s eyes lit up every time the commercial came on for "Finding Nemo." I had to figure out where that small, orange fish with black and white stripes had gone. Just like everyone else, I was brought to the theater to enter the underwater world and experienced what it was like to have a sting ray as a teacher, discovered that clown fish were not as funny as their name, that sea anemones sting others, and that racing through a swarm of jelly was a bad idea, even if you find a “squishy” and make it your own.

And today, in 2016, I am twenty one and still, my eyes light up every time the commercial comes on for "Finding Dory." Thirteen years later, my seven year old self came back alive and I wasted no time to immerse myself back into that underwater world I loved so much as a kid.

• *If you have not seen Finding Dory, and do not want a spoiler, stop reading now!*

I entered the movie theaters with one of my best friends, Kaylee, clearly giddy about the whole thing, got popcorn and a slushy, because I had to go all out for this Disney Pixar movie I was about to witness. I even stopped at the Dollar Tree to stock up on cheap candy (not trying to pay 10 bucks for Twizzlers) and entered theater number eight, but made a quick stop to the bathroom as well. If I had to pee in the middle of this movie, I’d hate myself for it.

As always, I got overly excited for the Pixar Short Film, “awwwed” at the cute little bird learning to feed himself, and got comfortable in my chair, that someone probably stuck gum to the bottom of.

Long story short, I cried three times, enjoyed the fact that the animators made baby Dory the cutest freaking little blue tang fish in the ocean, and was happy to see Marlin and Nemo by her side after all these years (or six months in movie time). I loved the new friends we were introduced to, and her parents were my favorite! (Diane Keaton voices Dory’s mom, and who doesn’t love her? .. I am biased because I love every movie she is in. Cutest mom!)

Please enjoy baby Dory below... even though I know you've probably seen it many times, I have a feeling you'll press press for the hell of it. She is just TOO DARN CUTE! "I suffer from short term mememeory loss."

Basically, I was able to relate to this story. Okay, I am not a fish and no I do not live under the water (although still waiting for my mermaid fins to grow in…) or have short term memory loss (although I do forget why I walked into a certain room sometimes and turn back around, only to sit down and then realize what I got up for in the first place), but like Dory, I did/do have this passion to go out in this world and find my biological parents.

Maybe I won’t find them in the ocean, but someday I want to somewhere. Being adopted at just 6 months old, I have no recollection of who they were, what they looked like, what they sounded like, or why they gave me up.

In "Finding Dory," Dory was able to have flashbacks of her parents, even though she had short term memory loss and for me, watching her remember made me feel like the only reason she was able to see those flashbacks with her memory loss was because she had hope to find them and love. Now, how damn cheesy is that? Cheesy as hell! But it is how I saw it.

Basically, Disney Pixar movies almost always has someone die in them (RIP to Nemo’s mom!) but then there is always that silver lining. In "Finding Nemo," Marlin learned to let go and Dory found someone to call “home”. Then the heart strings were pulled in "Finding Dory" when you watched how she got lost, how her parents worried about her short term memory loss, and then rejoiced when she found her parents and learned to never give up hope.

I still dream of finding my biological parents, especially my mom, and with "Finding Dory," I was able to learn to still never give up hope, even if I have to cross an entire ocean to find my dream, just like Marlin found Nemo and Dory found her parents.

In this cute animated movie made for six year olds, I felt that I learned a lot; 1) To trust your instincts, 2) To trust others, 3) To give others a chance, 4) To go after your dreams, 5) How to speak proper whale, and that 6) Fish are still friends, and not food. Maybe I thought too much into it, but I bet if you rewatch it, you'll now think of the things I laid out in front of you.

I found "Nemo" back in 2003, found Dory a few weeks ago, and am still “finding” my own self today and still go through life hoping to someday find my own parents, like Dory.

Never give up hope. It’s pretty powerful stuff, just ask the Blue Tang who traveled to P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney with her best friend.

P.S. I trust Becky still too. Ha.