Let Down Your Hair

So, this morning my husband tells me he plans on bringing my 4 year old boy, and our two teenage nephews skeet shooting in the Atchafalaya basin...(for those of you reading in Canada, this might seem like an odd thing to do, but for the folks down here in southern Louisiana, it makes perfect sense):-)

My daughter had been asking me to see the newest Disney movie “Tangled” (based on the Rapunzel fairytale) since the relentless advertising had started. My mother-in-law was nice enough to babysit the 2 year old, so my daughter and I set off for our date.

Now, don't get me wrong, I was really pleased to be spending time with my daughter, alone, without one boy begging me to come pitch the baseball and the other wiping the Cheetos dirtied mouth on my pants. However, I was guiltily dreading sitting through another hour and a half of a helpless size 2 princess being rescued by her handsome prince charming.

But, miraculously, I was pleasantly surprised (..well the princess was a size 2...but I digress).

Instead of the same cliché, story book plot, was a tale of soul searching and self actualization. Being scared of reaching your goals for fear of not knowing what to do next.

In a sense it's Rapunzel who saves her prince by realizing that the strength she possesses isn't in what's outside of herself (her hair), but inside of her...her soul.

Now, I don't know if my daughter caught all that, but at least I don't think she'll be asking me to cut her long, curly hair anytime soon:-)

In the end, the prince and the princess do get married (it is a Disney movie after all), but the emphasis was definitely on the journey and not on the end. As it should be!

So, as I left the theater, gummy bears glued to the soles of my shoes, I couldn't help but feel uplifted and full of hope.

Not bad for a cloudy Wednesday afternoon.