‘Unfrozen’: Be who you are called to be

Anyone with young children can understand how certain shows, movies or songs come to be on constant repeat in one’s household. Though, perhaps, we don’t understand how it happens so much as we recognize it as one of those mysteries of parenting.

Over the past six months in my house, it has been “Frozen” and “Frozen II” on almost daily repeat.

After the 1,000th time watching, I was struck by something very interesting. I had strong disagreements with the parenting style of Elsa’s and Anna’s parents. As I try very hard not to judge other parents or their parenting decisions, I found myself playing through a discussion with them. What was their rationale for “conceal, don’t feel”? Why was it so important to isolate and hide Elsa, and subsequently Anna, from the rest of the world?

Shouldn’t they be helping their children adjust to living in society as who they are rather than trying to make them fit some norm? And please, in a moment I am not so proud of, I might have actually blurted out watching “Frozen II” that they were terrible parents – the revelation that Elsa’s mother had powers or magic, too, and still allowed this to happen to her daughters. Come on, man!

Let’s face it, their decision to treat Elsa’s powers as a curse rather than a gift had almost catastrophic and deadly results for their family and their kingdom.

As parents, we are called to foster goodness and godliness in each and every aspect of our children’s lives. Each morning, I pray for my family that the Holy Spirit will inspire each of us to use our gifts and talents to the best of our ability according to God’s will for us. (Please note, the part about it being God’s will is pretty important.)

As a mother of five, I am very aware that those gifts and talents are different in each child and will need to be fostered and encouraged in different ways. I am also acutely aware that “all is gift” and, in each burden and challenge as well as in each joy and success, there is grace and an opportunity to grow more fully in our relationships with Christ and to be more of who he calls us to be.

I feel like the king and queen missed that part.

St. Catherine of Siena, saint and doctor of the church, is attributed with the saying, “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” Through her intercession and the power of the Holy Spirit, may we all grow in grace and understanding of who we are and whose we are so that we may go forth to build the kingdom of God!

Sarah McDonald is a wife and mother living with her family of seven in Metairie. She is director of communications for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

smcdonald@arch-no.org