If it were up to me, I would've seen "Beauty and the Beast" the night it came out and probably 3 or 4 more times since then but due to a promised triple date with some friends, I had to wait until last night and OH MY GOODNESS it was worth it. I grew up dreaming of Belle's yellow dress and infinite love for books. That childhood dream has displayed itself in my adult life as a room full of books and a passionate goal of having my own library one day (I've grown out of the whole dress thing).

So, to say that I was excited to see this movie is an understatement. Let's just say that the man who sold us tickets took one look at my face and said, "Oh boy, someone's excited." Seriously...I was grinning from ear to ear. As I watched the most enchanting world of "Beauty and the Beast" come alive, I couldn't help but think about how many good lessons this movie has. This fairytale is ironically filled with applicable life lessons for people of all ages, but I found 5 that particularly stood out for my generation:

1. Looks can be deceiving.

Okay, we've all heard the old saying "don't judge a book by its cover" but "Beauty and the Beast" truly makes this lesson real. From the beginning of the movie, Belle is labeled as an "odd" yet beautiful girl. Even Gaston comments that he wants to marry her because she is the most beautiful girl in the village (insert audible groan of disgust) but she's obviously much more than her looks. Gaston's outward appearance is extremely misleading in comparison to his dull and arrogant personality. And of course, there is the Beast, who has a heart of gold underneath all of that anger. In a generation obsessed with lip kits, eyebrows, and appearances - we've lost something. We've lost the ability to be genuine because we hide behind perfect Instagram pictures and make-up plastered faces. There's so much more to us than what appears on the outside (well, except for the case of Gaston).

2. Family is worth the sacrifice.

This was perhaps one of the most moving themes in the film. The fact that Belle was willing to sacrifice herself for her father brought me to tears and visibly shook the hard-hearted Beast. But that didn't touch the beauty of the members of Beast's castle who gave everything they had for him. Instead of being bitter and angry due to their circumstances, they chose to love him despite his many flaws because, well, that's what family does.

3. Women can be strong, courageous, soft, AND kind.

Can I like my own point or is that something Gaston would do? Because this lesson is one I've struggled with for years. I desperately want to be a woman of grace, kindness, compassion, and gentleness BUT not at the expense of my courage, strength, and determination. The balance between these characteristics is extremely thin and can seem impossible. Either women are bold, rude, and brass OR they are meek, gentle, and a pushover. The same can be said for men - they are either 100% manly man (as Gaston is portrayed) or they are weak and unattractive (LeFou). Well, Belle just wrecked that entire concept. She stands up to the Beast when he yells at her to come eat dinner but she also cleans and tends to his wounds after the wolf attack. So...there is a magical balance to this whole woman thing after all.

4. Reading is undervalued.

In a generation where we use Netflix to melt away the stress of the day and therefore turn our brains into mush, reading is a hobby of the past. I can count on one hand, with room to spare, the amount of people I know that actually read for pure enjoyment. I can spend hours getting lost in the worlds of books, and "Beauty and the Beast" just confirmed that I'm not weird - just maybe I'm doing something right. I'm as guilty as anyone for having Netflix binge sessions and wasting hours on social media BUT at the end of the day, nothing fills me up like a good book. And there are SO many good things about reading: it challenges us, it takes us to places that we'll never see in real life, it strengthens our creativity and intelligence, it broadens every horizon we have. I can honestly say that I am more compassionate, well-traveled, creative, strong, beautiful, and intelligent because of my love for reading. So cancel your Netflix membership and join a library.

5. True love isn't perfect.

This is so refreshing. Whether we realize it or not, all those TV shows and movies we love so dearly often give us a false perception of love. According to our generation, love should be whatever is best for me, myself, and I. Well not the love found in "Beauty and the Beast." It's a rocky, challenging, and REAL love. One of my favorite things about this story is that Belle and the Beast have to fight for their love. They yell at each other, they fight, they disagree and yet, they make it work. They find common ground (BOOKS - see #4 because you probably skipped it) and they learn to compromise. There's so much to learn from this kind of love. They didn't give up when it was hard - they became even stronger and they accepted the flaws of each other. That's true love - not the "love" your favorite celebrity has as they bounce from person to person. So fairytale love is real after all but it surely isn't perfect.

Maybe you've seen this movie and came out unimpressed. Maybe you've laughed at some of the points I've made. But maybe, just maybe, something deep inside of you connected with the truths found in this breathtaking fairytale. Thank you, "Beauty and the Beast," for providing truth that applies to all generations.