Letting Go Meditation by Susie Olive-Allison

Because my children have all gone through phases of obsession with the movie Frozen, I cannot hear this phrase without thinking of Elsa flaunting her powers in her ice castle, oblivious to the path of destruction she has created in her kingdom below.

If you’re unfamiliar with the story, young Elsa learns she has ice powers and uses them to build snowmen and play with her sister, Anna, until those powers hurt Anna. Fearing her power and grieving her parents’ deaths (enough with the trauma, Disney!), she locks herself away until her coronation as queen. Because she hides her power she never learns how to control it, and it so happens that as soon as Elsa comes out of her self-imposed isolation Anna makes an unexpected announcement that triggers icy chaos for the entire kingdom.

I can identify–not with the magical ice powers, but with the concealing/not feeling out of fear. Those parts eventually exploded and threatened my relationships and existence. We mask our worry, stuff down our anger, and conceal our secrets. But just like a balloon can only hold so much air, our hearts can only hold so much despair. The pressure will eventually find release.

In Frozen 2, Olaf the snowman teaches the children of Arendelle how to focus on what they can control when they encounter natural disasters unleashed upon their village (nature can only hold so much as well) that are out of their control. We can practice controlled release by sharing our struggles, bearing witness to injustice, and being vulnerable with our emotions.

Spoiler alert: Elsa is not the hero of Frozen 1 or 2 (I’m hoping with the third installment she’ll be ready to fully live her truth and be the hero I’ve always hoped for.) She very well could have turned out to be the villain if not for the unconditional love of her sister. So, kids, what have we learned? Practice letting go, gently, and build community with honest folks who love and forgive in case of catastrophe.

God, grant us the insight to recognize our fears, the confidence to share them, and the faith to let them go.