Now, I'm not usually one to write sappy, thought-provoking, tear-inducing articles, but as my first semester of college is coming to an end, I feel the need to share a discovery I made.
When I was much younger, I was constantly watching Disney princess movies. I was entranced by the color, the music, and the adventure each story held. However, as a child, one thing I never quite understood about these movies was the importance they put on family. All I wanted to do growing up was get away from my family to hang out with my friends. I mean, come on... my parents were adults, and my brother was three years younger than me -- surely only friends in my specific age group would make good company. I never understood why Anastasia would go on an incredible journey just to find her long-lost family, why Belle would let herself be held captive by a beast for her father's freedom, or why Mulan would risk her life in a war just to ensure she'd have a family to come home to. I always knew family was important, but I never understood why family was the primary motivation behind all of their actions.
Don't get me wrong, I love my family and I always have, but I never quite realized how absolutely necessary they were until I grew up. During high school, I couldn't wait to get away from my crazy parents. I just wanted to escape, to be free, to be an adult. But now that I've moved off to college, I text my mom every day. I yearn for coffee dates with my dad. I count the days until I can hear the high school stories my little brother entrusts to only my ears. Whenever I have a rough day, I call my parents, tears streaming down my face, because their voices just make me feel a little less alone. And if college every gets to be too stressful, I beg them to let me come home, just to pretend I'm a kid again. I know that whatever mistake I've made, they'll love me unconditionally (even if my questionable chemistry grades might keep me out of medical school... and them out of a nice nursing home). They mean more to me than they may ever realize.
So now, anytime I watch Ariel hug her dad in "The Little Mermaid," I tear up Anytime I watch Mulan risk her life to save her father's, I know I would do the same.* And anytime I see my red Grand Cherokee pull up to my dorm parking lot, I know that I'm not alone in this terrifying world.
*Sorry there aren't many mothers in Disney movies, Mom. The only comparison that could work is Tarzan's gorilla mom, but I didn't think you'd appreciate that as much.