Let it Goooo!

Things I learned at Disney on Ice…from the perspective of an elder-Millennial mom. Fun fact...my kids both wore their pants backwards like Criss Cross, IYKYK. 

Key Takeaways from 2022’s Disney On Ice: 

1. Beauty and the Beast: We need to stop teaching little girls that a beast can turn into a prince if you give him enough love and kindness. Girl, he ain't changing. If he’s a beast now, he’s going to be a beast until he does the work and therapy and heals himself. There’s no amount of love, affection, or service you can give, that will speed up the process or fix him. Maybe your absence, or walking away, will force him to face it…maybe not, either way, it’s not worth losing yourself.
2. Cinde-fuckin-rella: Things don't always end “happily ever after” and that’s OK. “Happily ever after” is a myth. It’s not about the end game, it’s about finding a way to be happy along the journey. In all Disney movies, until the early 2000’s “happily ever after” meant finding a prince, falling in love and having the fairy tale wedding. Why does the princess only aspire to fall in love with a man and depend on him for her happiness? Why does the princess have to put in all the work and give love unconditionally in order for the fairytale to work? Just stop. 
3. Frozen: The song "Let it Go" hits different in your 30's after you’ve been through some shit. I think this was the first time I actually listened to the lyrics and really heard them:

It’s clear that Elsa is a reformed people-pleaser, fresh off her first marriage and divorce, coming to terms with her power and independence and no longer cares what others think. I actually love this lesson for my children. I hope they don’t spend years afraid of expressing their emotions and dimming their lights to make others more comfortable in their presence. Let the storm rage on, LET IT GOOO!

I propose a more realistic fairy tale in which the princess works hard to build her career, she's confident and knows her worth. She dates several suitors and picks the man who understands her and treats her like a princess, validates her feelings and emotions, and makes her feel beautiful, powerful and strong. This "prince" understands she's a "Once in a Lifetime Chick" and treats her accordingly, or he doesn't, and she dumps him and she lives happily ever after!