Never Say Never

Image: Steven Spielberg's An American Tail

When I was a little girl, I was enthralled by the story of the little Russian immigrant mouse Fievel, who bravely journeys West to New York City on a lonely and seemingly hopeless quest in search of his missing family. Fievel is afraid he will never find them and sings this little song, "Never Say Never" that helps him to believe.

Somehow at the age of 5, I connected to this story. Maybe I knew it would be significant to my life. Everyone remembers a miniature 5 year old me singing, "Never Say Never" over and over and over again.

Children are remarkable little beings with innocent hearts that bleed and believe. If you pay attention, you can almost see the grown up person he or she will become. Because they already are. And if you pay attention to their remarkable interests and individualistic personalities, you can glimpse the significance any child will become.

As I grew older, I forgot all about Fievel and his little quest but something about his message stayed with me. It sometimes seems my whole life has been about finding family. Every now and then when I stumble upon the word "never" I remember the little mouse Fievel. And after all these years, I never can say never. I still believe.