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October 29, 2024

Finding Your Way Home: My Heart-Opening Evening with E.T.

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Opie Cooper Editor Apparent

My person always says this is one of their absolute favorite movies, but after watching it, I have to wonder how anything could possibly be better than this. It’s a story that touched something so deep inside me, I had to take several breaks just to process my feelings (and maybe snuggle a little closer during the scary parts).

E.T. is about feeling different in a world that doesn’t always understand you. Trust me, I know a thing or two about that – like when everyone expects you to react a certain way to things, but your heart tells you something else entirely. The story follows Elliott, a young boy who discovers a lost being from another place, someone who just wants to find their way back home.

The way Elliott and E.T. connect is pure magic. They feel each other’s feelings, share each other’s experiences – it’s exactly like that indescribable bond that happens when you find your person. You know the one I mean? Where you can tell what they’re feeling even from across the room, and somehow they always know exactly when you need them most.

Three things this movie taught me:

  • Sometimes being different just means you haven’t found your right people yet
  • The scariest part of any journey is taking that first step away from what’s safe
  • The treat drawer isn’t nearly as interesting as the vast possibilities outside our door (though it’s still pretty interesting)

What really got to me was how E.T. becomes sick when he’s separated from his home for too long. I may be brave enough to explore the atrium garden now, but I still need to know my safe space is nearby. There’s no shame in that – even Elliott needed his family, his sister Gertie (who, by the way, is absolutely delightful), and his friends to help E.T. get home.

The part where the grown-ups in white suits invade Elliott’s house had me hiding behind my favorite pillow. Sometimes the world can feel too big, too loud, too overwhelming. But that’s when friendship matters most. Elliott never gives up on E.T., even when everything seems impossible. It reminds me of how my person never gave up on me during those first uncertain days together.

And those bikes flying across the moon! I’ve been thinking about that scene for days. Imagine finding the courage to leave the ground entirely behind! While I’m not quite ready for flying (the top of the cat tree is quite high enough, thank you), I understand that feeling of your heart soaring when you overcome your fears. Just yesterday, I ventured to a new corner of the garden I’d been nervous about – it wasn’t quite flying, but my heart certainly felt lighter.

The goodbye scene… well, I needed extra cuddles for that one. But it taught me something beautiful about love – sometimes it means being brave enough to let go, knowing that your connection remains even when you’re apart. E.T.’s glowing heart reminded me of that warm feeling I get when my person comes home, like there’s a light inside that only they can switch on.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5 sunbeams, plus all the stars in the night sky!

Three things that made me emotional:

  • When E.T. and Elliott first learn to trust each other (reminds me of someone…)
  • The way everyone works together to help someone in need
  • How being lost sometimes leads you to exactly where you belong

You know what’s really special? My person has watched this movie countless times, but when we watched it together, they still cried at all the big moments. That’s how you know a story has real magic – it never loses its power to touch your heart.

P.S. – I’ve been practicing making my own heart glow by napping in the warmest sunbeams I can find. So far no actual glowing, but the research continues.

Remember: “Be good.” Sometimes the simplest wisdom is the most profound. Though I’m still working on understanding what exactly counts as “good” when it comes to investigating the houseplants…

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