Yes, I'm a Sap.

I just got back from seeing Disney Pixar’s Toy Story 3.

And I cried like a baby.

It’s a heart-warming tale of true friends, true love, and true loyalty to one another. America’s most beloved cowboy and favorite space ranger continue to make us laugh and cry, as we witness their most defining moments: whether they are fighting for their lives in a landfill, evading near death in Sid’s room, in a vending machine at Pizza Planet, locked away in Sunnyside Daycare, or with their owner, Andy, they stick together and warm the hearts of audiences across the nation.

This particular film hit home for me, as Andy heads off to college and must leave his childhood memories behind. This includes Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Slink, Rex, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and Ham, who are suddenly shipped to Sunnyside Daycare, a militaristic facility run by a heartless teddy bear. Sound familiar?

Probably not right away. But believe me, you’ve got a lot more in common with these characters than you’d ever believe.

I’ll admit that it sounds sophomoric and juvenile, but there wasn’t a dry eye in the theatre as the film came to a close. Andy grows up, his toys move on, and an era comes to an end.

That godforsaken “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” gets me every time.

Of course, I’m an Andy.

We all are.

We’ve been there: torn between the past and the future, leaving things behind to move on to the (hopefully) better things that lie ahead of us in Life. Andy may go to college and leave his toys behind, but—as cliché as it sounds—aren’t they always with him? He’ll remember his best friends from age 7 to 17, from 35 to 58, to infinity and beyond. He’s reached a milestone in his life and he’s stronger because of the ones who got him there.

I’ve been a selfish brat since I went away to college.

I haven’t called my parents. I haven’t visited home. I’ve cleaned out my closet and I’ve “moved on” to bigger, better things. Mature, adult things. I’m a whole-new me, a brand-new woman. I’ve grown up.

But I’ve never stopped to think of all the things I’ve left behind. All the people I’ve hurt because I’ve gone my own way and done my own things. I’ve been concerned with me, myself, and I--and I didn’t care who my fire burned.

Well, listen to me, kid. You’ve still got a lot of growing up to do.

Now that I’m home, I can see how much my parents have gone out of the way to provide everything they ever could for me. They’ve seen me grow up from a little curly-haired girl who watched Duck Tales in the den and wanted to be a “beautiful ballerina” into a big-shot college girl who loves her friends and her classes and her new grown-up life. I understand that I need to leave things behind in order to move forward, but growing up is all about changing for the better. You learn to think of people other than yourself, and you can begin to give back to those who have helped you get to where you are. You give back to those you’ve helped you grow.

And I see how much I’ve hurt them because I’ve pushed them away and denied them because it was inconvenient for me to call or let them know how I was. How utterly selfish I was...how blind I was to the emotions of others...and only now I realized it.