One of my granddaughter's favorite movies is the Toy Story series. Her Mama has introduced her to Disney movies this past year, and it has been a joy to watch many of them with her. What I found to be an interesting character that has evolved over the past twenty years was Bo Peep. The lamp that turns into a superhero. What an inspiration for young girls and boys to watch.

I am sure many of you have seen at least one of the Toy Story movies. Bo Peep is a nursery lamp that came into Woody's life as a night light for his "kid," Andy's little sister. Little did she know that life in Andy's house would be filled with days of laughter and adventure.

The opening scene of Toy Story 1 is a distressed Bo Peep held captive by One-Eyed Bart, (Mr. Potato Head). Bo Peep cries to save her and her sheep and along comes Sheriff Woody to arrest One-Eyed Bart and save the day. What Andy doesn't see is, Bo Peep pulling Woody closer to her and thanking him for saving her and the sheep. Woody sheepishly accepts her praise and the sparks of a long-time relationship begin to burn.

In Toy Story 2, Buzz Lightyear is a new and exciting character that takes the admiration of the entire toy box. However, Bo Peep is concerned that the accident that sent Buzz to the next-door neighbor's house was not on purpose as the rest of the crew accuse Woody of pushing Buzz out the window and into the hands of a destructive boy. At the same time, the family is moving and brings the climactic ending of learning that Woody is an admirable man and saves Buzz and RC and gets another intimate moment in the end with Bo Peep.

Bo Peep is one of the toys in Toy Story 3 that don't make it as a main character, although Woody remembers her fondly. Fast forward to Toy Story 4 and our female damsel in distress comes back. However, she isn't the one in need of assistance. Woody needs her help and learns she is close by and he goes on a hunt to find her. What he did not expect to find was an independent toy that did not need to be saved by him or a "kid."

There is an eleven-minute video on Disney Plus that details the life of Bo Peep called, "Lamp Life." It details her story from the beginning of her life with Andy's family all the way to her independence from the shelf on the secondhand store.

Out of all the female characters depicted in Disney movies, Bo Peep is in a class of her own. She starts her life as an ornament. Can that be a metaphor for how most women feel at least once in their lifetime? She plays the role of the damsel in distress even though she saves more men than she ever needs to be saved. She moves from house to house, trying to find her fit in each until she is finally retired to a secondhand store to collect dust.

Disney didn't leave her there. They gave her a chance to break free and find her independence, grow, and be happy with who she is and how much she appreciates what she had and what is out there to conquer.

By the way, Annie Potts has the best voice to represent that little powerful superhero. I recommend the Toy Story series to inspire and challenge the young and old alike.