Highlights

What Woody, Buzz, and Jessie Reminded Me About Childhood, Connection, and the Power of Real Friendship

This week I had the joy of taking two of my grandchildren to see Toy Story 5.

Of course, we had the full movie experience: our snack packs with popcorn, soda, and, naturally, gummy bears!

But what made this trip special was not just the movie. It was the memory we were creating together.

This was also our first time experiencing a movie in 3-D. We put on our black 3-D glasses, did a little dance because we were so excited, and settled in for an incredible visual adventure.

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There were moments when some of the animals seemed to come right out of the screen, and the audience including us, reacted with surprised little yelps. When the movie ended and we took our glasses off, our perspective was a little off, and we all felt a little wobbly for a moment.

As a photographer, I loved it.

I love visual storytelling. I love new technology, creative experiences, and the way images can bring emotion to life. Seeing something in a fresh way is one of the things that inspires me.

But the most beautiful part of the day happened after we walked out of the theater.

Right outside was a grassy area filled with children playing.

I watched little girls twirling on the playground, laughing together, pushing each other on the swings, and enjoying the simple joy of being together. Some girls were lying in the grass talking about tornadoes, completely absorbed in their own little world of imagination and friendship. One little girl was walking like she was on a runway, full of confidence and laughter.

I couldn't help but smile.

It was such a beautiful reminder that play is still alive and well.

Children are naturally creative. They are naturally curious. They are naturally drawn to connection.

They don't need a screen to imagine an adventure.

They create their own.

And that is exactly what made me reflect on the message of Toy Story 5.

The movie explored how devices have changed childhood and how toys, once a central part of imagination and play, can become less desirable when screens compete for children's attention.

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Happenings

That message really resonated with me.

For more than 35 years, I have had the privilege of photographing preschool children through Images by Hughes. I have watched generations of children grow, laugh, play, and celebrate the wonder of childhood.

One of the biggest changes I have noticed over the years is that there is not always as much imaginative play as there once was.

The simple things that used to fill childhood, the pretend games, the dress-up, the building, the storytelling, the creating of entire worlds from a child's imagination are competing with something much more powerful than any toy box:

The screen.

But that afternoon reminded me:

Play is still there.

Imagination is still there.

Children still long for connection.

And that is why Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the whole gang still matter.

They remind us that children are created for connection.

They need friendship.

They need imagination.

They need laughter.

They need people who know them and love them.

A screen can entertain a child.

But a friend can encourage a child.

A device can provide information.

But a relationship can provide belonging.

This message connects deeply with my upcoming book, Rescue the Children.

Children are created with a deep need for connection. They want to be seen, valued, and known.

When those needs are met through loving families, grandparents, trusted adults, friendships, and communities, children become stronger and more resilient.

But when children search for connection primarily through screens, they can become more vulnerable to online dangers.

As I wrote this newsletter, I couldn't help but think about the precious children living in a safe home in the Philippines after being rescued from (OSEC)Online Sexual Exploitation of Children.

Many of these children have experienced unimaginable betrayal and trauma. Yet one of the beautiful realities trauma specialists have discovered is that healing doesn't happen only through counseling. It also happens through safe relationships, joyful play, laughter, imagination, and simply being allowed to be children again.

Watching children run, laugh, create games, draw pictures, build friendships, and play together isn't "just playing." It is often part of how they begin to reclaim the childhood that was stolen from them. Healthy play helps children rebuild trust, develop emotional resilience, regulate their emotions, and rediscover that the world can be a safe place. Joy itself becomes part of their healing.

That is one of the reasons this mission is so close to my heart.

I long for every rescued child to experience not only freedom from exploitation, but the restoration of childhood itself to laugh without fear, to dream again, to build healthy friendships, and to know they are deeply loved and infinitely valuable.

And this is the message I want every parent, grandparent, teacher, and caring adult to remember:

The opposite of online danger is not offline... it's connection.

The answer is not to fear technology.

Technology can be beautiful. It can inspire us. It can educate us. It can create amazing experiences just like that first 3-D movie experience with my grandchildren.

The answer is balance.

More conversations.

More play.

More imagination.

More time together.

More face-to-face friendships.

Because the greatest childhood memories are not created by a device.

They are created by sitting in a theater with your grandchildren, sharing popcorn and gummy bears, walking outside afterward and watching children laugh and play, and making memories that last a lifetime.

After all, Woody, Buzz, and Jessie have reminded generations of children:

Every child deserves a friend.

And every child deserves to know:

"You've got a friend in me."

That is why I wrote Rescue the Children.

Because protecting children begins with something simple and profoundly powerful:

Connection.

Join the Mission

If this message resonates with you, I'd love to invite you to become part of this growing community. I am so grateful for every person who has believed in this mission and helped bring this message closer to families who need it.

Rescue the Children is now 82% funded with just 14 days to go. Please help me get over the finish line, by joining my Kickstarter, where I'll finally be able to publish stories of hope, practical ways to protect children.

If you believe every child deserves a safe childhood, a trusted friend, and the chance to simply play again, I also invite you to support, share and pray for myRescue the Children book project. Your partnership will help bring this important message to parents, grandparents, educators, churches, and communities while shining a light on the realities of online exploitation and the hope of restoration.

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Together, we can help more children be rescued, more families be equipped, and more childhoods be restored.

Because every child deserves more than survival.

Every child deserves joy.

Every child deserves connection.

Every child deserves the freedom to simply be a child.

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Horizons

"The best special effects of childhood are still the ones children create themselves."