20 Every Mom Relates To Dory

1. When we’re starting to feel overwhelmed…

Dory: This is the Ocean, silly, we’re not the only two in here.

2. When we love our kids even though they’re being rotten…

Dory: I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy. Come on, Squishy Come on, little Squishy…Ow. Bad Squishy, bad Squishy.

3. When we come up with a brilliant and wholly original idea…

Dory: How about we play a game?
Marlin: All right.
Dory: Okay, I’m thinking of something orange, and it’s small…
Marlin: It’s me.
Dory: Right!

4.  When being a mom feels like an existential experience…

Marlin: Tell me, Dory, do you see anything?
Dory: Yeah, I see a light.
Marlin: A light?
Dory: Yeah. I see a light.
Marlin: Yeah, I see it too.
Dory: Hey, Conscience, am I dead?
Marlin: No, no. I see it, too.

5. When remembering things becomes a major life event…

Dory: I remembered what it said! I usually forget things, but I remembered it that time!

6. When we just want a little reassurance because being a mom is HARD…

Dory: Ahh! Something’s got me!
Marlin: That’s just me. I’m sorry.
Dory: Who’s that?
Marlin: [exasperated] Who’s that? Who else would it be? It’s me!
Dory: Are… are you my conscience?
Marlin: [sighs] Yes, I’m your conscience. We haven’t spoken for a while. How are you?
Dory: Eh, can’t complain.

7. When we try to speak baby and all we get back is…that look… 

Marlin: He’s not coming back. You offended him.
Dory: Maybe a different dialect. Mmmmoooooowaaaaah…
Marlin: Dory! This is not whale. You’re speaking like, upset stomach.

8. When we’re excited about the little things… 

Dory: I can read? That’s right, I can READ!

9. There we go with those smart ideas again…

Dory: I’m thinking of something orange and small…
Marlin: Me again.
Dory: All right, Mr. Smartypants…

10. When we know promises can’t always be kept…

Marlin: I promised I’d never let anything happen to him.
Dory: Hmm. That’s a funny thing to promise.
Marlin: What?
Dory: Well, you can’t never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo.

11. When we wish we had the same skills our parenting friends have…

Marlin: THAAAANKKK YOUUUUU SIRRRRRRR.
Dory: Wow. I wish I could speak whale…

12. When we’re trying to act brave around our kids… 
Dory: Would you quit it? What, the ocean isnt big enough for you or something like that? You got a problem? Huh? Do ya, do ya, do ya? You wanna piece of me? Yeah, yeah! Ooh, I’m scared now! What?

13. When we’re dealing with something tough…

Dory: Whoa, partner. Little red flag going up. Something tells me we should go through it, not over it.

14. When our babies learn something faster than other babies…

Dory: Yeah, be careful I don’t make you cry when I win!

15. When our kids actually want to play with us… 

Dory: I love games! Pick me!

16. When we think we might have had an idea before, but it’s…Brilliant!

Dory: … It’s orange and small, and has stripes…
Marlin: Me, and the next one – just a guess – me.
Dory: Okay, that’s just scary.

17. When we’re trying to relate to a new group of mommy friends… 

Dory: Hi. I’m Dory.
Anchor, Chum, Bruce: Hello, Dory.
Dory: And, uh, well… well, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a fish.
[the sharks applaud]
Chum: Wow, that’s incredible!
Bruce: Good on ya, mate!
Dory: Whew. Glad I got that off my chest.

18. That first time we have to leave our little with someone else… 

Dory: No. No, you can’t… STOP. Please don’t go away. Please? No one’s ever stuck with me for so long before. And if you leave… if you leave… I just, I remember things better with you. I do, look. P. Sherman, forty-two… forty-two… I remember it, I do. It’s there, I know it is, because when I look at you, I can feel it. And-and I look at you, and I… and I’m home. Please… I don’t want that to go away. I don’t want to forget.

19. Sometimes we get frustrated…

Dory: [exasperated] I don’t know where I am… I don’t know what’s going on. I think I lost somebody but I, I can’t remember… and I can’t remember…

Nemo: It’s OK, it’s OK. I’m looking for somebody too. Hey, we can look together.

20. But when life gets us down, there’s always a way out… 

Dory: Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do?
Marlin: No I don’t wanna know.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.
Marlin: Dory, no singing.
Dory: [continuing] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho. I love to swim. When you want to swim you want to swim.
Marlin: Now I’m stuck with that song… Now it’s in my head.
Dory: Sorry.