If ye had the chance to change your parents, would ye?!
Merida from Disney’s Pixar film Brave is a great addition to the princess family. She rocks the frizzy red hair, she doesn’t need a man to hold her down, and she can do archery like a pro. It’s no wonder that after the movie’s release in 2012, people were running around trying to imitate Scottish accents and purchasing red hair dye. I will admit that after watching the movie with one of my princess best friends, we left feeling empowered and ready to study abroad in Europe. Merida wants what us all of princesses in college want: to be free and live our own lives despite pressures from family, friends, and school. If we could all just escape our classes or nagging calls from our parents to go climb a cliff (or chill on Landis Green), I bet we would. Or maybe we have.
However, the lesson today from Brave is neither free expression nor rocking out your single lady status (although those topics are amazing lessons alone), but something else that we might forget to do or think about: be grateful for our royal parents.
Ugh, really? Can’t I just stuff my face instead?
This is fairly easy on some days and practically impossible on others. A princess is supposed to respect her king and queen parents, but what about in situations when they don’t necessarily see you crown-to-crown? They might nag you about your career path, question your “late night” or posts and pictures on social media, and maybe they are getting on you about dating or even marriage (or they could not like the prince you are SO totally into). I mean, what is their problem?! They brought you into this world, but can’t they understand fate is in your own hands? Can’t they cease and desist for one day by not calling you to ask such tiresome questions? DON’T YOU WANT TO JUST TURN THEM INTO BLACK BEARS?!
Maybe, possibly, and heck yes… let’s start finding that potion on Amazon! Yet, no matter how much our royal family may get on our cases, they are still family nonetheless. Merida and her mother had issues, but in the end they realized they loved and needed each other. You need your parents, whether for finances, support, shelter, reassurance, or just people you can casually call to vent about college being a total pain. Your parents love you unconditionally and believe in you (that’s why you are in college today). In certain situations, we have to fight back the urge to turn our royal family into woodland creatures, and just learn to appreciate them much more instead.
Lately, I’ve felt like I’ve needed to repair the bond between my parents and I numerous times. However, if Merida’s mother could forgive Merida for turning her into a bear (something my mom would struggle with for months), then I can get along with my folks and try to argue less. I can’t stress enough how much a princess in college needs to be grateful for her parents, or whoever takes care of her. In the end, it is all about our happy ending, but we wouldn’t have reached it without…no, not the prince, but our parents. Sure, the prince kisses us, but our parents raised us, made sacrifices for us, and ultimately instilled values that make us the princesses we are today.
Princesses, go call up the queens and kings of your life, tell them how much you love them, how grateful you are for them, and that yes, you will try to call them more often. (But not the five times a day that they want…give us a break!)
Be grateful always!