Day 117: Best of Friends

Lyrics: 

When you're the best of friends,
Having so much fun together,
You're not even aware you're such a funny pair,
You're the best of friends.

Life's a happy game,
You can clown around forever.
Neither one of you sees your natural boundaries,
Life's one happy game.

If only the world wouldn't get in the way,
If only people would just let you play,
They say you're both being fools,
You're breaking all the rules.
They can't understand,
The magic of your wonderland.

When you're the best of friends,
Sharing all that you discover,
When these moments have past,
We'll let friendship last,
Who can say, there's a way!

Oh I hope...
I hope it never ends.
'Cause you're the best of friends...

Best of Friends is one of my favorites Disney songs. It's has such sweet simple lyrics and message. In nature, foxes and dogs are not "best friends". The dogs usually hunt the foxes, normally under a human's orders. Todd and Copper met when they were both pups, before Copper's training to hunt other animals became more intense. Their childhood innocence and friendship broke many rules. Copper was supposed to stay on Amos's farm until Amos wanted him to train, but didn't. Todd was supposed to stay on Wido Tweed's farm to keep him safe. Yet the two find neutral ground and sneak off to hang out together and play games. When they are together, they are really happy, but apart not so much. 

As the song says there's magic in their wonderland. There's something special when you gain a friend who loves you that unconditionally, even if you look diffrent or do things diffrently. Sometimes it's best to let two people (or critters) be alone if they are showing each other true friendship and one is not hurting the other in anyway. It's great to have a true friend you can share everything with and go to for everything no matter how bad it may be. The best friendships can weather any  storm life throws at them. Those kinds are  the ones you never want to end. Yet some friendships are only meant for a season in a person (or critter)'s life. It's up to each of us to figure out if it's a friendship that will never end or if it will eventually end like most things do. 

Speaking of ending, that wraps up this post. So until next time, always remember that the best of friendships can come from anywhere and as always Keep Cooking with Character!

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Day 116: You know, I've never been happier!-- Todd

You know, I've never been happier!-- Todd, The Fox and The Hound

This often used quote comes to us as Todd and Vixey, his lady fox mate, are walking through the nature preserve they're on.

Have you ever felt like this before? What caused you to feel this way? Was it because of a new job? Perhaps you've had a new baby join your family? Maybe it was because of a promotion or your mate said yes to marrying you. Perhaps you conquered a major fear of yours or completed a very tough problem you never thought you'd get past. Have you ever felt happy but then something comes along and makes you even happier?

I cannot tell you how many times I've had things happen to me that have made me happy but then something else comes along and makes me even happier than I was before. One of my favorite times this happens is when I'm out getting new content. This happens a lot when I am able to go do my character interviews. I'll be honest, usually the first interview of the day is what sets the tone for the ones that follow, especially when I haven't done them in a while or I'll interview a new character. I'll end up happy with the first one then with each one that follows, they get better and better and I can't wait to post them. It's also why I made the rookie mistake of not editing them and posting them raw, because I was so happy with them for the first couple years. Lately, I've been studying several YouTubers and how they do their videos and editing (Here's looking at you TheTimTracker, Brian Hull, and the Hayes Family Vlog). The way theirs are is quite the inspiration. Also the 3 YouTube channels I just mentioned are the top 3 I'll watch constantly and don't ever miss their content. They always put a smile on my face no matter how down I may be, so I highly recommend their channels. They're very kid-friendly and always positive! Plus they all have Disney in some form on their channels, which is a major plus to boot! YouTube goals, just saying!

As happy and at peace as working on my blog and channel make me, work calls. So until next time, always do what makes you truly happy and Keep Cooking with Character!

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Day 115: Forever is a long time..-- Big Mama

Forever is a long time and time has a way of changing things-- Big Mama, The Fox and The Hound

This gem comes to us just after Dinky and Boomer, the two caterpiller chasing birds, show Todd what Amos is training Copper to do and Todd makes the remark that Copper, his loyal childhood friend who happens to be a dog, would never change or go after him.

Have you ever known someone for what seems like forever? Did they stay the same from when you first met them, or did they change? Have you ever started a project, be it school or work or perhaps it was something you wanted to do? Did it feel like you were never going to finish it no matter how much you worked on it? Maybe your family has a new baby in the house or a new pet that's still in the baby/puppy/kitten stages and you want them to stay that way because of how cute and squishable they are. Perhaps you're visiting family and having such a grand time you could stay with them forever.

Sadly as much as some of us may wish for time to stop, it just marches on and changes things, even best laid plans. Yet for all the changes in the world, sometimes those changes are for the better: a new better paying job, finding out what you truly want to do with your life, making new true friends that won't turn their backs on you or take advantage of you, raising a child and watching how they do things through their innocent eyes (I could go on here), endangered or rehabilitated animals being reintroduced back into the wild. Unfortunatley sometimes those changes are not for the better: watching a relative lose their memories, seeing your friends who you thought were true turn out not to be and took major advantage of you, wars starting over the dumbest things (again I could go on here but not gonna), animals losing their habitats over human greed. 

The best thing to do is navigate life as best you can, hope for the best and keep the faith that not everyone is out to get you or will do you wrong if you've been wronged before. Is that being a bit naieve? Perhaps.  It's always best to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I know it sounds a bit backwards but at least you'll be ready for whatever time tries to change on you.

So until next time, just remember that nothing lasts forever and as always Keep Cooking with Character!

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Day 114: Hey kid, you'd better step over here and take a good look.-- Dinky

Hey kid, you'd better step over here and take a good look.-- Dinky, The Fox and The Hound

This semi-ominous (yet good) quote comes to us after Todd and Copper have grown into adults. Dinky the bird decides to give the extremely naieve Todd the fox a harsh reality check about how foxes and hunting/hound dogs normally behave. It foreshadows a very dark, yet quick, scene in the film.

Have you ever had someone tell you to get a good look at something? Was it for something nice like the details of a piece of artwork or perhaps it was for something harder to see, such as how someone treats another person when they think no one is looking? Maybe it was to find details for something. It's always a good thing to take a good hard look at things sometimes, even ourselves, because it may challenge our thinking in good ways, likewise it may challenge our thinking in bad ways.

I'll admit, when I picked this quote, I wasn't sure how I was going to take this one, but I knew I liked the quote because of all the diffrent ways I could take it. In Todd's case, he learned that dogs usually hunt foxes as a way of life and Amos Slade, Copper's owner, was training Copper to hunt foxes like him for their pelts. Widow Tweed raised Todd like a baby human in a way and shielded him from the harsh reality foxes have outside her care. It was a huge shock to Todd to learn what could happen to him if he wasn't careful out in "the real world", which is not always as nice and helpful as we all want it to be.  Todd understandably goes through denial and holds out hope that Copper is not as Dinky said he'd grow up to be. Yet with this new knowledge about dogs, Todd still holds out hope that Copper will not turn out to be like the others.

It's always good to hold out hope for the best in a person, and sometimes that never happens. Should that ever happen, it's ok to let them go. Yet sometimes we see the best in someone and still have to let them go to protect them. Widow Tweed knew what Amos was teaching Copper and Chief, Amos's elderly dog, and wanted to protect Todd as best she could. In doing so she releases Todd into a wildlife sanctuary where he should be safe and live his best foxy life ever.  Todd questions why she drops him off after being with her for many years, but that questioning doesn't last long when he makes a new foxy friend, all the while Amos is still training Copper. Copper and Todd eventually meet again later in the film as adults, but not under the best circumstances because of Amos Slade's hatred and thirst for revenge. How it ends, I'll leave it for you to decide to watch. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it.  So with that I'll leave this post.

Until next time, always remember to take a good hard look at everything and everyone, and as always Keep Cooking with Character!

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Day 113: That temper of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble someday.-- Widow Tweed

That temper of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble someday.-- Widow Tweed, The Fox and The Hound

This wise gem comes to us after Amos Slade, Widow Tweed's neighbor, gets extremely mad about his dogs, a pup named Copper and an old hunting dog named Chief, botching a hunt early in the movie. This quote also has a good bit of foreshadowing to it, because Amos is a bit of a hothead.

Has anyone ever said this to you? Perhaps you've said it to someone else.  Choosing to get angry about something never works out for the best. Things get destroyed, feelings get hurt, sometimes both beyond all repair.  Believe you me I know first hand. My temper sometimes gets the best of me, think like a shaken up soda bottle that pops its top, explodes then fizzles down to nothing. Then when I'm calm I realize just how stupid I was when I was mad and apologize to those I've hurt because of things I've said in anger.

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given is: Do not choose to get angry over something. You can choose almost all of your emotions but Love and Sadness, the rest are chosen emotions. It's taken a long time for me to realize what my best friend meant, but turns out she's right, especially about anger, frustration and losing one's temper. Choosing to not get angry or let your temper flare is one of the hardest things to do in life, especially if you're someone who is passionate about things. The best things to do I've found to not choose anger  is to do the grounding technique. I don't remember who first told me or where I read it, but it works when you catch yourself just before exploding. When you feel like you're going to say something you're going to regret or when you feel your blood start to boil, take a deep breath and slowly exhale. While you're doing that look around the room for 5 things to see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and take one large slow breath. By then you should be calm enough to talk rationally without saying something you'll regret. Sometimes, you'll be calm by the 2nd or 3rd task but others it may take longer. There are other ways to not choose anger and it sometimes takes a long time to stop choosing to be angry and let your temper flare by choice. Whatever you choose, I'm sure it will be right for you.  

So until next time, do your best to not let your temper flare and as always Keep Cooking with Character!

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Day 112: I'm not going to be so lonesome anymore.-- Widow Tweed

I'm not going to be so lonesome anymore.-- Widow Tweed, The Fox and The Hound

This comes to us just after the birds show Widow Tweed where a baby fox is in the fence. Seeing his mama's not around and fearing for the worst, she takes him in and names him Todd, because he acted just like a little toddler child. 

Have you ever made a friend before and felt like this? Perhaps you got a new pet or made a human friend. How did it make you feel? Were you feeling lonely and they came into your life? Perhaps you just wanted to make more friends (which is almost never a bad thing).  

It's rough to feel so lonesome like Widow Tweed, whose husband passed away before the events of the movie. You can be lonesome in many ways, and sometimes not even realize it. You can be in a huge group of people yet still feel lonely. You could also be alone with no one in the room and still feel as lonesome. It's that sort of longing that you feel when you are wanting companionship and getting loved unconditionally. Whether it's through a human or an animal, feeling that kind of deep companionship and unconditional love helps you feel not so lonesome. Sometimes you can be alone and not feel lonely, which is a-ok. 

Have you ever felt like Widow Tweed before? Perhaps lost a pet or loved one to The Rainbow Bridge or Heaven/Afterlife? Perhaps you're longing for your soulmate to enter into your life and you have yet to find him/her. I cannot tell you how many times where I've felt like Widow Tweed: extremely lonesome and longing for that one certain someone to complete my life. Don't get me wrong. I have the unconditional love my family brings and have had the unconditional love of my pets over the years and I have a lot of friends, but there's just that one type of uncondtional love that I long for which is found in a family of my own that I make with my soulmate. I know he's out there somewhere, as for where, I'm working on that. One of these days I'll find him and have it. Until then, it's just a matter of coping with things as they are and doing my best to not feel so lonesome, if you know what I mean. The way Widow Tweed responded to baby Todd, I think she had a wonderful married life like the pictures in her house show. 

So until next time, I hope you never have to feel lonesome and as always Keep Cooking with Character! 

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