The poem I chose to post on Friday Favorites this morning felt newly “dear” to me after an experience I had at a movie theater last week. Stef and I had a mommy/daughter date to go see Beauty and the Beast, which I’ve been excited for months to see. Even the trailer made me teary every time I saw it.

The thing was, my reaction to it was not at all what I expected. Having fallen in love with Disney’s recent live action films Maleficent and Cinderella, I was prepared to adore this film just as much. I didn’t, for a whole list of reasons. Not to mention the fact that they left out the Beast’s signature song from the Broadway show (If I Can’t Love Her) to stick a new one in there in order to be eligible for an Oscar nomination for Best Song! Sigh… In fact, I got so caught up with my “critique” that I was totally distracted. Until, that is, I noticed this (probably) three-year-old little girl in a pink tutu and tights sitting a few rows in front of us.

I found myself wondering how appropriate this movie was for a child of that age. There were some pretty darn scary scenes in it. Especially with the wolves. And an attempt at murder? I couldn’t tell if she was really watching the movie, but she was certainly well behaved sitting there with the adults she’d come with. But then the music began. And quick as a wink that little starlet was out of her seat/row on the steps in the aisle dancing with all her heart! She was paying no attention what so ever to the movie. She was totally lost in the music.

My first thought was that it was dangerous having her out there on the step with folks coming and going up and down, and her eyes closed not watching where she stepped. But pretty soon my “strict mommy” mode shut down and I became fascinated just watching her. The look on that little girl’s face was one of pure ecstasy, she was obviously somewhere else. And I had to ask myself when the last time was I felt that way.

I am sad to say I have absolutely NO bloomin’ clue… And I suddenly had this great feeling of loss, as though I’d misplaced something very valuable and couldn’t find it. How I wished I could be that free and happy again. Realistic to expect to have those kinds of experiences of total abandonment as we get older? Maybe. I don’t know. But since then I’ve been wondering if I need to spend some time finding THAT kind of BLISS in my life…

How about you? What do YOU think?

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Picture Source: Dreamstime.com