Andy’s mom

Time has a way of sometimes taking forever, and other times it’s almost cruel how quickly it passes. I think it’s normal to mark points in our lives, memories, and moments we wish would last longer to various things like songs, TV shows, historical moments, and movies.

Personally, it feels like the Toy Story franchise grew up with me. The first movie came out when I was seven years old. I am now 38 years old with a five- and seven-year-old of my own.

I saw something the other day that said, “Somewhere along the way, the story changed. I used to be Andy and now I’m Andy’s mom.” I went from the kid myself with a little sister who dressed up as Jessie in a red hat with a Bullseye stuffed animal to a mom who was bribing my own kid with a Buzz Lightyear and Woody toy if he could get himself potty trained.

I don’t know where the last 31 years of life went, but I think part of what makes these movies special to me is the continuity of the beloved characters and the familiarity of their voices, personalities, and stories. There’s something comforting about seeing your own children laugh at the same voices and jokes that made me laugh as a kid. No matter how many times I’ve seen the movies, I still laugh and can hear Woody’s voice saying, “If you don’t have a moving buddy, get one!”

So much in life is different. I remember being the kid in Disney World with my parents. I remember walking down Main Street and wishing it lasted a little bit longer. I remember sitting on the ride in Magic Kingdom and trying to defeat the evil Emperor Zurg. I remember the simplicity of the time period that these stories were in my life and my family at the time.

Like everyone else, a great deal of my life is different than it was in 1995, but there’s something about hearing the voices of Buzz and Woody and knowing that there’s another adventure in store for the gang that gives me comfort.

These movies and voices are an escape from all that has happened these last 31 years. I know my dad would have loved taking his grandkids to the new movie, but I suppose he has the best seat in the house from Heaven.

Life is constantly changing. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, I guess. For now, I cling to the simplicity of these movies and cherish the memories. I sit next to my children as they, too, enjoy the same characters and share a love for the gang’s next adventure. At some point we all have to grow up. I sit knowing that I was once Andy when these stories began and am now Andy’s mom. My mom is now Andy’s grandmother.

A lot changes, but not everything. To infinity and beyond.

Megan Rathz is a wife, mother, and teacher. She says everything she has ever learned in life came from her Master Gardener mother.