You know that scene in The Lion King where Rafiki smacks Simba in the head with his stick and says, “Oh yes, the past does hurt, but you either run from it or learn from it,” and at that moment Simba grabs his stick and runs off laughing. That scene is a key lesson in that movie. It teaches children not to let their past control them or make them who they are; that mistakes are what make us human (or animals in Simba’s case).
Simba grew up thinking that he was his father’s killer, that he was a murderer, and that he was banished because he would never be forgiven for what he thought he had done. Once he grew up, he tried to live for the future, but when Nala went out to find help because her home was dying and found Simba, she told him the truth, and that’s where that quote comes in. Simba learned to face his past, and instead of running from it, he confronted it and took back what was once his.
This lesson is great for any child who ever grew up thinking they did something really wrong: to face it, and even if it was really bad, most of the time you are forgiven, especially if you are a small child. Whether it was simply doing something silly to a young sibling or something worse, no child should live with regret holding them down. They need to know that everyone makes mistakes, and as long as you own up to it, it will be okay.
There are some people I see on TV shows where the parent talks about their kids being bad, and after they did something, they realize what a horrible thing they did. Obviously, some things are not granted forgiveness, depending on what was done, but usually parents have a soft spot for their child, and no child should ever go through life feeling unloved or afraid to admit to a mistake. Every child deserves a chance to be forgiven.
