My Essay on Parade: “Frozen 2 Reminded Me That Sisterhood Can Still Save the Day”

Frozen 2 Frozen 2Did you see Frozen 2 yet, friends??? One of the best moments of 2019 was seeing the film rewrite the script for Happily Ever After! I got to write about what it means to see the love between sisters save the day and it’s my first piece for Parade magazine!

For some context, I was a huge fan of the first movie, which wasn’t like any Disney movie I’d ever seen. So going into Frozen 2, I had high hopes, especially in light of all the amazing trailers that had been released. Elsa using her powers to traverse a raging rapid?? I was totally here for that! But the movie blew all my expectations out of the water (pun intended!) in the best way possible! The plot! The music! Olaf! The portrayal of masculinity — a discussion of that is coming in a separate blog post because, naturally, I’ve got lots to say about that!

Frozen 2But back to Frozen 2. My editor asked if I could see the film before writing my piece and I love that my job involves going to see Frozen 2. But, really, what I love the most is that my mom went with me!! Perfect movie date!! We had such a great afternoon and guess what??? My mom liked the movie too, so it’s a double win, if you ask me!

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, and, yes, I did have help with it because Elsa is the perfect muse…

Frozen 2 may be action-packed and full of catchy tunes, but it was all the touching moments between Elsa and Anna that had me smiling and feeling grateful that I have a sister to support me, like these two characters do.

“What would I do without you?” Elsa asks at one point in the film. “You’ll always have me,” Anna says.

Those words are so similar to conversations I’ve had with Janelle, but I never really understood just how powerful they were until I saw the dialogue come to life onscreen. They’re simple words, sure, but this was the first time that a Disney movie helped me learn the value in love…sisterly love, specifically.

Here’s a movie, finally, that says, “Yes, there is more than romantic love. And, yes, those different kinds of love are just as worthwhile.”

I see so much of my sister and me in the movie and I’m so glad this generation has Elsa and Anna!! Thank you for such a moving portrayal of sisterhood…

Frozen 2You can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so I see your tweet and we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo

To the Best Sister In the World on Her Birthday

Best Sister Best SisterDear Janelle (AKA, the best sister EVER):

Have I ever told you that Tuesday is one of my favorite days of the week? Why, you ask? Because it’s the first day we’re both home together after you’ve been working all weekend!! And what double luck that today is Tuesday AND your 33rd birthday!

Now I know that you don’t like these mushy lovey-dovey displays of affection (and you’ve even told me how much you hate the word “lovey-dovey”), but it is your birthday and I’ll make this short and sweet!

This year, I wish you could see just how far you’ve come over the years. You’ve grown so much and have worked so hard to get to where you are. That is definitely something to celebrate and I know you’ve never been one to brag about yourself, but if ever there was a time to brag…NOW WOULD BE THAT TIME!!

Remember when you were little and we’d call you the Little Blonde Girl? Well, that girl has grown into a compassionate, gentle, strong, sweet, wonderful WOMAN who is doing so much good in this world. You’re a light in this world, and I thank you for lighting up my life every single day!

You and I make a pretty good team, don’t you think? Sometimes I even think that we were meant to be sisters; of all the billions of people in the world, WE got each other, and that’s a pretty special gift, if you ask me.

Best SisterI texted you this photo over the weekend while I was shopping, and as I’ve said before, I think Frozen captures us perfectly. You’ll always be the Elsa to my Anna. They were two sisters who were always there for each other and who saved each other in the end. I hope you know that I’ll always be here for you, just as you’ve always been here for me.

So, today, I hope you allow yourself to feel some joy, even if only a little bit. You deserve all the joy in the world because you bring joy to so many. I love you and I look forward to our future Sister Adventures together!! Thank you for being the best sister in the whole world… xoxo

My Love Letter to Frozen

Love Letter to Frozen Love Letter to Frozen Love Letter to FrozenFirst of all, don’t worry, friends — there’s absolutely no need to adjust your Web browser. No, you haven’t time-traveled back to 2013. It’s just me who’s catching up with the rest of the world. Why, you ask? Because I’ve discovered the sheer magic of Frozen over the weekend! Seriously, have I been living under a rock for the last four years…or in a secluded castle surrounded by ice (see what I did there?)? I really feel like I need to make up for lost times here, so consider this a long-overdue love letter to Frozen…

I’ll admit that I was a bit apprehensive going into the film. My mom had seen it and hated it, but this was on a school bus with 75+ children on a class trip, so maybe that wasn’t the optimal condition in which to enjoy the film.

I decided to make Frozen my Saturday night movie. Sure, you might think that’s a bit lame for a 35-year-old, but I felt #noshame whatsoever; my heart beats strong for all things Disney, so I figured Elsa and Anna would most definitely be my home girls.

It turns out I was right.

Everything about the film — the songs! The scenery! The clothes! The adorableness of Olaf! — put a huge smile on my face. Everything. Honestly, I found myself grinning from ear to ear by the time Anna found herself speeding through the snowy forest to beg Elsa to come out of exile. I was moved, to say the least — and I say this with no hint of irony whatsoever.

But what moved me even more? The heartfelt story. Because the more I watched the film, the more I realized that this was, surprisingly, my story too. I could truly identify with Elsa and Anna. I mean, they were sisters. They were incredibly close. Their parents died when they were young. And they went through a period where Elsa began pulling away, which just completely broke Anna’s heart. They didn’t have easy lives, but you know what? They got through it and were even closer in the end.

And about that ending, where it turns out that the act of true love was Anna saving her sister???

I ALMOST CRIED, PEOPLE!!!!

You go into it thinking that some valiant prince is going to be the big hero who saves the day. I mean, it IS a Disney movie, after all, so you just assume that. And then, you find out that it’s a sister’s love for her sister that saves the day and, well, that ends up meaning everything to you! I applaud Disney for going outside the box with this one and showing that romantic love doesn’t have to always be the be all and end all, you know? There are all types of different loves out there and all of them are important. Here’s a film that isn’t all about romantic love or finding your prince. At its heart, it’s a story about the power of sisters and knowing that your sister is there for you. I was so glad the film showed that!

I’ve decided that Janelle is the Elsa to my Anna…it just fits!! And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I’m writing this post on National Sibling Day, do you? #SisterGoals

So, friends, be sure to go and hug your siblings today! Tell them just how much you love them and how grateful you are to have them in your life. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it! Because time…it just moves far too fast. Don’t wait until it’s too late… xoxo

What Happened When I Bought My Sister a Fiona PEZ Dispenser…

What Happened When I Bought My Sister a Fiona PEZ DispenserDecember is probably the one month of the entire year that has people scrambling for the perfect gift — for friends, for co-workers, for loved ones, for your neighbor who you really don’t know all that well, but you see each other every day at the dog park, so, you know. Translation: The pressure is really real, people! And all that pressure?? It’s got me thinking a lot lately about gifts and their deeper meanings. How do you know you’ve found the right gift for someone? What makes you look at something and go, “YES! This is most definitely it”? For me, I’m reminded of those questions every time I think back to what happened when I bought my sister a Fiona PEZ dispenser. The story goes something like this…

I don’t even remember when I bought the gift, but I know that it was years ago. In fact, I don’t even think it was for Christmas. I’m pretty obsessed with PEZ dispensers and actually sport quite an impressive collection and during one of my classic shopping trips one day, I spotted some Shrek dispensers. I snatched up two of them: Shrek himself and Fiona. I didn’t buy them with my sister in mind, but the more I thought about it, the more it fit and seemed like fate was somehow stepping in. She’d been struggling and having a hard time in those days and my heart just broke for her. Granted, I knew I couldn’t make all her problems disappear, but I did know that I wanted to do something — anything — to lift some of that darkness, even if it was only a little bit.

So I added the Shrek dispenser to my collection and gave her Fiona. It may have been a small gesture, but the meaning behind it was anything but tiny.

“I want you to think about something every single time you look at Fiona,” I told her. “I want you to think about the moral of the movie. It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside or how people see you because what’s inside? That’s who you are. That’s your true soul. And that’s what is important. None of that other stuff matters. You are loved — so much more than you’ll ever know.”

Today, all these years later, that PEZ dispenser still sits on the bookcase in her bedroom; Fiona has become a fixture and continues to watch over her, and I like to think that it has something to do with the meaning behind my gift. Small. Simple. Incredibly powerful.

And, when I took this picture, I noticed the poignant framed quote beside it…

Be not afraid of going slowly

Be afraid only of standing still

The lesson here, friends: Never underestimate the power of a gift, no matter how small. That PEZ dispenser couldn’t have cost more than $3 and yet it meant more than any million-dollar diamond ever could. As the old saying goes, “It’s the thought that counts” and I fully believe that. So go forth and give with all your heart this holiday season. It just might mean more than you’ll ever know… xoxo

The Power of Childhood Imagination…

When my sister and I were teenagers living in the ho-hum of the Midwest, we invented a fictional character to add a small ounce of excitement to our lives. His name was Jack Sally.

His story: He was rugged and reckless and on the run from the CIA and The Pentagon for divulging certain information to the wrong people.

For the next couple years, we’d write ‘anonymous‘ letters to each other, supposedly penned by Jack Sally himself. He told us of his plight hiding underground to escape persecution, how he was a wanted man and how we must never speak of his existence…or else.

In fact, we became so enamored with Mr. Sally that we even started ‘looking’ for him ourselves: in malls, on Google, but mostly in hotel phone books.

It was our mission to save Sally from the evil clutches of The Man.

Well, that’s how we saw it anyway. It was a bit odd for a couple of teenage girls, but it was fun.

A cute little diversion to keep us smiling, and I often wonder now: Are we, as ‘adults,’ forced to give up our imaginary friends once we come of age?

What’s the harm in keeping the fun alive a little longer?

Janelle and I don’t have an exact recollection of how Jack Sally came about because it seemed like he’d always been a part of our lives. Janelle has always been the more artistic, creative one, so I suppose I’ll give her credit where credit is due.

But he’d show up one day in the form of a harmless note tapped to the fridge or left on the edge of a dresser, His words spoke of freedom. He was on a quest to seek justice for himself, and each note provided cryptic clues to his whereabouts; but, as he assured us, the tyranny of government would never squelch his spirit.

We could never quite decipher what exactly he was trying to tell us, but to our young eyes, it was better than the most beautiful of poems and far more exciting than any action movie we’d ever seen!

Those words rang as sweet elixir to our unformed, impressionable minds. Before long, even our parents were screaming SOS — Save Our Sally.

It had truly become a family affair, albeit a bit of an odd one, but then again, my sister and I had always been a bit quirky. It worked for us.

It’s rare that sisters have something of that nature that they can share with each other, so when we found that rare opportunity, we held tight to it. We laughed together. We searched hundreds (maybe thousands?!?!?!) of telephone books together. And of course, we remained ever mystified together.

We, sadly, haven’t heard from Jack Sally for years now. His letters continually got shorter, and he, sadly, stopped making an ‘appearance’ in our lives.

This greatly disheartens me. He’s just vanished, which brings me to my point. Just because something is socially deemed for kids only doesn’t mean you have to follow those rules. In my book, rules are made to be broken, and if that means keeping Jack Sally in my life, well then that’s just a risk I’ll have to take. Oh, and on that note, I’m probably taking a very big risk even speaking of him in this post.

Whether you’re special childhood friend was a scarecrow or a hippo or even a dinosaur, I encourage you to take a step back in time to those carefree days. Remember that comforting feeling, that sense that nothing mattered but having fun and having a tea party with your stuffed giraffe who walked 1000 miles just go arrive at your doorstep. Welcome him (or her) again with open arms.

P.S. Jack Sally, if you’re reading this, please come back. There are still people out there in this big, bad world who need you!

[Photos via We Heart It]