What I realized on the toilet today
If you're a parent, you've probably encountered the show "Bluey" at some point. and if you're a parent, you've probably come to the same conclusion that I did... Bluey is actually a show for parents, but just expressed in simplest terms so that both kids and parents can love it together. Let me explain... If you've never seen it, it's about a family of Blue Heelers that live in Austrailia - Bandit (dad), Chili (mom), Bluey (big sister), and Bingo (little sister). The show takes you through the everyday activities of the families, but some episodes - they hit deep. For instance, one episode is about how children still need to be near their parents while they sleep and it showcases Bingo who doesn't want to sleep without her mom, but her mom reads her a book and tucks her into bed anyways. Only for Bingo to have a dream about being in the cold, dark, vast expanse of space. She swims around space with her stuffed animal until she is stranded on a meteor all alone when, suddenly, she whimpers in her sleep. Her mom hears her and rushes to comfort her while Bingo's dream features the bright, warm, and life sustaining sun zooming through the universe to be by her side. To a child, it's a fun space adventure. To a mom, it's the reason that we're okay with the fact that we haven't had a good night's sleep in years. Or, the episode "Curry Quest" where Bluey is asking her mother about what a quest is and the mom tells the story of the Hero's Journey and how it works (at the same time that the dad and Bingo are going on a quest to swap curry with their friendly neighbors). but, PLOT TWIST, while they are delivering their curry, Bingo learns that her dad is going to be away on a work trip for 6 weeks and she's upset because she doesn't want him to go. They learn to overcome the obstacles together which gives her the strength and courage to cope with her father's work trip and absence for 6 weeks. Until it ends with them embracing at the airport upon his return - indicating that she has completed her heroes journey and became a new and stronger pup in the process.