Ohana

One of the movies that I had never watched is, of all things, an animated Disney movie. Yes, stunning I know, as it seems to be the duty of every Mother of a small child to learn the titles and characters by heart so you can fully enter the world of your child.

It was a movie that came and went rather quietly, and in some ways I felt like I have not seen this particular movie before because we needed it now.

So what is this movie? Lilo and Stitch. Silly perhaps to find any sort of deep meaning in a cartoon, but there it is. When searching for movies to watch for a couple nights Mom and Dad were totally exhausted, I came upon this movie in the lending library on vacation and Emily instantly became excited (it is one of the stories in her big red Disney book).

It's about a little mutant monster who escapes to earth and lands in Hawaii. He finds a home with two Sisters who have lost parents in a car accident.

The younger Sister argues against returning Stich because he is now "Ohana" or family. A simple concept right? Not so simple.

Lilo explains "'Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten."

A Western critic raved that Ohana was great because the family came to include Stitch, David, an X CIA agent, and a mad scientist after beginning with just two girls. But he missed a big part. In the end credits, the photo of Lilo with her complete family was actually her Mom, Dad, Sister, Herself, and Stich taped in.

The Western critic didn't get that the family ALWAYS included their Mom and Dad.

What a wonderful concept- that family is never forgotten.

Ohana. Why should we love them any less?