Lilo taught me how to be sassy yet strong

This one is dedicated to you, mom. My mom says that Lilo & Stitch is the reason I was such a sassy young child, and as somewhat of an adult, I have to agree. I can vividly remember fighting with my mom and ending the argument with, "Why don't you sell me and buy a rabbit instead?!"

Although Lilo's personality may have initially imprinted on me as acting like a complete nightmare, I believe there is more to it than that.

Lilo was open-minded and never afraid to be herself, even when she was being ridiculed by practically everyone she knew. She was always unapologetically herself and never strayed away from who she was.

Sisters can be the worst, but they can also be the best

I have an older sister who is ten years older than me, so as a young child, I totally understood why Lilo was always fighting with her big sister. Nothing was more aggravating to my five-year-old self than my older sister who constantly thought she was smarter and better than me.

While I identified with Lilo and Nani's sisterly feuds, the film also made me appreciate my sister more. Even though my sister wasn't raising me by herself like Nani was raising Lilo, she played a bigger part in raising me than I realized. My sister helped bring me to school and dance practices and was there for me at all my recitals and games and performances just like Nani was.

Showing Nani's struggles and sacrifices she made for Lilo made me appreciate my big sister more. And as I grow older, I understand why Lilo was such a pain in the neck.

If a guy is worth it, he'll wait around for you

The relationship between Nani and David is one of the most real-life, healthiest relationships I've seen in a Disney movie, and honestly, everyone should take notes.

David asks Nani out on a date repeatedly, but Nani is constantly forced to decline because she's got much more pressing problems to deal with (like her sister being taken away). Instead of being offended and demonizing Nani, David understands and takes it upon himself to be there for Nani in any way he can.

It's important to always have compassion

Lilo had every reason to be hateful and violent. Her parents died suddenly in a tragic accident, she was being bullied and she had no friends. If she had acted out, it would be understandable to a degree.

What really shaped me as a child was her compassion toward Stitch, a violent and destructive little creature. Lilo chose him from the animal shelter because he was an outcast just like her. When Stitch acts out and destroys things, Lilo calmly dissolves the situation and talks with him about how he can better himself and better society.

When it comes to friends, quality always beats quantity

Lilo was often bullied by the other girls in her class for being different. They made fun of her for her homemade doll and her strange-looking "dog" Stitch. I always admired the way that Lilo handled all of this. Rather than trying to change who she was, she remained true to herself. She knew that her personal integrity was more important than having a bunch of friends.

By the end of the movie, Lilo doesn't have a great number of friends, but the friends she does acquire are supportive and love Lilo for exactly who she is. She taught me that it's better to have a few great friends who love you for who you are rather than have dozens of friends who expect you to change for them.