Since the very first Toy Story movie came out I have been a huge Pixar fan. I am guessing I am like a lot of people. I was a 17 when I first saw Toy Story. It blew me away.

Well, here I am. It is 15 years later and Pixar has done it again. My wife and I took our son to the movies three nights ago and we discovered that Toy Story 3 might just be one of their best.

I have all of the Pixar films. All of them have been good in their own way. They have blown me away time and time again. (I have probably seen The Incredibles and Cars a dozen times each.) None of them left me feeling like this one did.

It was funny. It was sad. It had its tense moments. It dealt with touching subjects. Toy Story 3 was an awesome movie.

One of the things that got me was this: It was bittersweet for Andy to give up his toys. He loved his childhood. He lived it well. Now, it is time to grow up and he knows it. He comes to the moment where he realizes his childhood is over and he is thankful. He leaves the toys he loves in the hands of a young one so that she can have the same chance at adventure and imagination that he had. It was extremely touching. It has me thinking days later.

Here is one of the questions that I have asked myself: What things from my past were good in their season, but now need to be let go of so that I can grow? I am still thinking about the answer. What about you? Are there things you are holding on to that were good once, but now are holding you back? Is it time to grow?

Good stories do this. They make us think. They stick with us. Toy Story 3 was that kind of movie.

Like the choice was really hard. Actually, it kinda was. A little. Well, the hardest thing to give up was the availability. Open 24 hours? Have nothing to do at 2 am? Go to Wal-Mart. Ok. I used to do that in college, but you get the point.

Wal-Mart is attractive to many people because they are a one stop shop for most things. It is easy to get your oil changed, pick up some milk, buy a TV, and get the baby food all in one spot. Unfortunately to go along with all of that, on more than one occasion I have encountered some of the worst customer service I have ever seen. (If you work at Wal-Mart and are a kind, courteous person, I apologize to you. The previous comment was not intended to offend those who actually care how they respond to customers.)

The last time I was in the store, December 31, 2009, I was looking for an anniversary present for my wife. My one year old son and I were shopping around and I had hoped to find a good deal on the item that she wanted. I asked an associate where it might be located. She told me that if they had it, it would be in such and such place. Her boredom poured off of her. So, I went looking and couldn’t find it. I thought I might have looked in the wrong place. I went back and asked again. She looked up at me and, with a tone of annoyance, told me that Wal-Mart didn’t carry that item. She treated me like I was a moron for asking.

I decided in that moment that Wal-Mart no longer needed my money. I was not upset that they didn’t have the item I was looking for. I was upset that I had to go to the associate twice, asking the same question, and she couldn’t tell me the first time that they didn’t carry the item. She was even a bit rude. It was like my desire to purchase an item from her store was inconvenient at the time. That was not the first time I had encountered this kind of issue in Wal-Mart, but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I have discovered something interesting in my time away though. The mom and pop store still exists. There are still stores out there that want your business and will go out of their way to make sure you are satisfied. AND they are no more expensive in many cases. AND their products are actually better quality.

I may never set foot in a Wal-Mart again. I can’t think of any reason I would need to outside of a major emergency. So, I will take my grocery money somewhere else. The Christmas and birthday monies I spend every year will go to another establishment. No, my few thousand dollars a year may not matter much to Wal-Mart, but they matter to me. I want them to go somewhere they are appreciated.

Funny thing is, had that associate treated me with kindness and respect, I would never had to write this blog post, I would have most likely have let the incident go. But, I wouldn’t have taken the time to go into some of the places I have gone. Wal-Mart’s loss is someone else’s gain…mine.

I had to get onto myself this evening. It was my son’s bedtime and he didn’t want to go to sleep. Lately that is nothing new. Such is life with a studly little 2 year old. So, I snuggled up next to him and tried to persuade him to call it a night. Thirty minutes later, as awake as when we started, he says "Daddy!" and laughs. What should have made me smile frustrated me. And, I felt like a moron for it.

Yes. It was his bed time. Yes. He needs to get his sleep. No. I have no idea why he is fighting so hard against it, aside from the fact he doesn’t want to miss anything. (I blame that inquisitiveness on his mother, and I love her for giving it to him). He didn’t need my frustration. He needed my love. He needed me present with him to enjoy the snuggle. And, I almost missed it.

So, I rolled over and turned out the light. I scooped him up and laid him up on my chest and started to sing to him. He started to calm. Halfway through the song he snuggled back up with me and stopped squirming. After that he rolled over to his Mama and eventually went to sleep.

One day I know I will wake up and he will be as tall as me. He will have other things that he wants to do. Other priorities in his life. I will look back and miss all of the opportunities that I missed by not living in the moment and enjoying him. He is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. The only one cooler being my wife. I don’t want to miss a thing. Especially for things that aren’t as important. I find the following quote truer the longer I live:

"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least”. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I love quotes. I get a quote of the day email every day. I follow many people on Twitter just because they find awesome quotes. I enjoy reading the wisdom of those who have gone before me. It inspires me. It teaches me. Their words give me perspective. Here are a few of my favorites:

To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour. – Winston Churchill

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to coin glorious triumphs, even though checked by defeat, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the dim twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. – Theodore Roosevelt

Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done. – Louis Brandeis

Do you have any quotes that inspire you? Share them if you have them.

It is raining outside my window right now. Sounds like it is coming down pretty hard. The thumping on the roof is very soothing, minus the cracks of thunder that wake the dead. All in all, it is pretty nice. I am safe and warm here in the house. My family is tucked in bed. The storm can’t get us. I am thankful we had that new roof put on last year.

Rain can be terrifying, but is also amazing. It washes everything clean. A morning after a rain smells fresh and feels crisp. Things look new again. It is easy to forget the rainstorm when the sun is shining bright over head. Everything feels right again.

I may not like the storm that brings the rain, but I am thankful for the rain. It brings water to the earth. It nourishes. Good comes out of it. I may not like hard times when life is covered in a torrential downpour, but I am thankful for the lessons that make my life grow. It is no fun being wet, but being stronger because of it isn’t bad.

What storms are you going through right now? Can you see where the troubles of today may lead to the growth of tomorrow?