“Mommy.”

That’s what my son said once when he pointed at the Moana trailer.

Maybe it was my skin, my long curly hair back then, or simply the kind of clothes I wear. Somehow, in his little mind, Moana looked like Mommy.

So when the live-action version came out this year, there was no way we were going to miss it.

So, naturally, we had to make a little occasion out of it.

The day before, we spent half a day swimming and got ourselves nicely tanned. So why not continue the island vibes?

I got myself a dress, and for him, I picked his favorite floral linen shirt.

Two slightly tanned people, dressed for the island, going to watch Moana together.

***

The first thing that caught my attention in the movie was the island itself.

The forest, the ocean, the rocks, the people, the nature—it all felt connected.

I actually enjoyed the live-action version more, but my son definitely still prefers the cartoon version.

And honestly, watching it as an adult gave me a completely different experience.

There were moments when I almost cried.

Not just because of the story, but because some of the messages hit differently when you watch them as a parent and as someone who has lived enough life to understand the emotions underneath the story.

As a parent, you have to learn how to let your child go and grow, even when it is incredibly difficult.

Sometimes loving your child means protecting them.

But sometimes loving them means allowing them to walk into the unknown.

You cannot live their life for them.

And perhaps one of the hardest parts of parenting is knowing when to hold on and when to let go.

Love is not something you earn by giving more.

It doesn’t mean the more you give, the more you will get back.

Love is not a transaction.

We sometimes give so much and secretly expect something in return—attention, appreciation, obedience, closeness.

Then there was another message that felt particularly meaningful to me: Abandonment is an inner wound that each of us has to work on ourselves.

Our upbringing and our caregivers can shape our adult lives.

The things we were given—or not given.

The things we learned to believe about ourselves.

So much of it follows us into adulthood, sometimes without us even realizing it.

Knowing who you are, so you don’t lose yourself.

Not becoming someone else just because other people expect you to.

Not living only through someone else’s definition of who you should be.

Knowing yourself.

And staying connected to that person.

Gratitude and apologies both matter.

We need to learn when to say thank you.

And we need to learn when to say I’m sorry.

Both require humility.

Both can repair relationships.

***

Maybe that’s why I enjoyed watching Moana so much more as an adult.

A lot of lessons for both of us.