Frozen 2 was all my daughter could talk about after we saw it. Now, weeks later, we’re well on our way to memorizing the songs, but you know what? I’m actually okay with that, because my whole family adored the movie, including the songs. Warning, spoilers ahead. (Affiliate links may be included).
Little miss recently asked me, “Will you and daddy leave forever?”
“What do you mean by that?!” I asked in return, but I was already thinking this convo had something to do with Frozen 2 and the big reveal of what happened with Anna and Elsa’s parents.
“To learn about my special power.”
“What’s your special power?” I asked, fully expecting the answer to have to do with ice, if I’m being honest. She does, after all, pretend to freeze her brother, dad, the dog, and me on a regular basis.
“My beautiful singing voice, silly!” she laughed.
I bent down next to her and said, “I don’t have to go anywhere to know why you have that. It’s part of you and always has been.”
You are special
That was also one of the big, important, wonderful life lessons of Frozen 2. In “Show Yourself,” as Elsa learns the truth about her family’s past, and discovers who she really is, she realizes how powerful being herself truly is. She sings: “Show yourself / Step into the power / Throw yourself / Into something new / You are the one you’ve been waiting for.”
Let’s repeat that again: You are the one you’ve been waiting for. Who you are, all your quirks and talents and things that don’t quite “fit in” with other people — they make you who you are. They make you uniquely you. That’s a song I’ll gladly sing over and over again with my daughter, who does, truly, have a beautiful singing voice.
Take the next RIGHT step
I’m going to be honest. I teared up multiple times in Frozen 2, especially when Anna thought she had lost two very important people. Huddled in a cave, she started singing, and anyone who has ever experienced grief could relate to her ballad. But the song is about more than grief, as my daughter has since reminded me with her dance moves; Little Miss will literally fall down as she sings, then stand back up and start walking, one step at a time.
As Anna sang, “Just do the next right thing / Take a step, step again / It is all that I can do / The next right thing.” Pain is hard. Life can be unfair. But we need to get up, and we need to take that next step — but not just any step. The right step.
Follow your instincts and go beyond your comfort zone
Early in the movie, Elsa keeps hearing a voice only she can hear. She believes it’s a kindred spirit, and she shares that through — of course — song. She runs out into the night to follow the voice; she wonders why she would risk what she has with the people she loves by venturing somewhere that is foreign and unknown to her.
But she wonders, what if? What if there’s someone like her? Someone who, she sings, “knows deep down I’m not where I’m meant to be.” She also asks, “How do I follow you into the unknown?” Or, as I heard it, out of her comfort zone and into unfamiliar places?
I see how my daughter is shy and how she’s nervous about trying new things; heck, even as an adult I occasionally still feel the same way. But what if? What if that unknown is something that helps you step into your power? That helps you find your voice? And maybe just maybe helps you discover where you truly belong? There’s power in stepping out of your comfort zone.
Honestly there are way more than three life lessons in the movie, including ones of diversity and inclusion. In fact, I’d argue that just about every song had a life lesson of sorts, including Kristoff’s song “Lost in the Woods” about his big feelings for Anna.
But the above three life lessons in Frozen 2 were what hit a chord the most for my kids at the age they’re at right now. The movie wasn’t perfect, as it did gloss over details at times, but I forgive it for that, because of how much my daughter and family enjoyed it, as well as how much we all took away from it.
As my kids grow up, I have a feeling we’ll be watching it again and again, and continuing to learn even more lessons from it. And trust me, I know we’ll have these songs memorized soon.
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