I have vivid 30 year old memories of Saturday morning cartoons. Mom would wake us up; still in our pajamas we would race to the front room to the “DA DA DA DA DA DA” of Looney Toons. We weren’t inundated with cartoons 24/7 like our children; this was a two hour excursion after a long week of work and play.
We only had one opportunity a year to see Mickey and Minnie. After our last class of catechism before summer break, we would gather with our classmates in the church basement to watch this yearly flick. I remember the chips and hotdogs; somehow those dogs were the best. I am sure Father Ott prepared them no differently than mom, but I can still smell them in their doughy bun as if it were yesterday.
These fond memories have been embedded in the recess of my mind.... so, when my daughter’s friend gave her a DVD of Looney Toons, I became excited. Finally, appropriate viewing for our kids who have access to cartoons day and night. It was kinda surreal to prepare my own kids to get a glimpse of my past. We popped some popcorn, climbed in our sleeping bags, and the familiar “DA DA DA DA DA DA” began.
But I was surprised! This experience was so different through my mom eyes. I was astonished at the violence and the message of immortality. I found myself interjecting, “Now girls, you know that would really hurt you if you did that.” – Or – “Hmmm, do you think a cat could really come back to life after having dynamite blow up in his belly?”
SHHHHH! (So much for processing.)
I tried to convince myself I was making it a bigger deal than what it was until last night... My youngest daughter was quietly playing in the kitchen while I was on the computer, or least I thought. Suddenly I felt a big “WHAP” on my head; I spun around to see her laughing as she raised the broom back up preparing to whack me again. Then she said, “Bad ol’ putty tat.”
As I stood up in shock, she missed my head but the broom handle came down and smacked my toe, “OUCH... that hurt mama!” I sat back down not knowing if I should laugh or cry. She climbed up into my lap with her head hanging low.
She looked me square in the eye and said, “I sorry!”
Wow... this was the first time I had heard her say something so enduring and heartfelt with such eye contact. I looked deep into her eyes and saw her intense concentration on the words she was articulating. And, again, she said, “I sorry!”
I knew instantly that she truly meant those words; they were not just rote words that she had imprinted in her memory, they had meaning and feeling behind them. I felt my eyes swell up. This was a huge milestone, an instant I will imprint in my memory forever nestled between hotdogs and Sylvester.
Looney Toons was able to inspire a fond memory after 30 years had past. Only this time instead of it being Saturday morning curled up with my sister, it was the catalyst that broke my daughter through her glass wall to meet me in a moment. It ended as quickly as it came, but imprinted in my heart forever
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