I am a huge movie buff, and last nite being Oscars®, I was glued to my TV as usual. Even when I lived in Japan for 7 years, I’ve never missed seeing the Oscars® since I was a young girl. To me they were all about story-telling, and perhaps my underlying foundation of being a writer. Many of the winning actors over the years have said to ‘hang onto your dreams,’ which I also encourage and practice. While I don’t usually go to animated films – I wait for video or TV – more recently, many have really been evocative of a good, positive learning process for the young and adults. Best, most recent example is the new Oscar® winner, “Frozen” from Disney, and its also Oscar® winning song, “Let it Go,” sung by Idina Menzel on the Oscar® show and in the movie.

I had actually heard on national news that the soundtrack and hit anthem “Let it Go,” had sold more than 1 million copies each, and inspired thousands of YouTube videos by young girls singing the tune, which they showed. Hearing the “Let it Go,” words, I was quite curious as these are so common in what I often write here regarding one’s past or being who You really are. The storyline key to the song is: “After having her icy powers exposed to the kingdom, Queen Elsa – voiced by Kristen Bell – isolates herself from her people, including her sister Anna. Now alone on the North Mountain, she relishes in no longer having to hold back her powers, singing of freedom as she crafts for herself a palace of beautiful ice.”

In accepting the Oscar®, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who wrote the lyrics with her husband Robert Lopez said, “Let It Go” was inspired by their daughters, “And the hope that you never let fear or shame keep you from celebrating the unique people you are.” WOW! I was overwhelmingly delighted of that affirming to our up-coming generation of young girls out there. Yes, how much most of us would have appreciated being told that when young, and not just being accepted as we were, but to ‘celebrate’ being unique and different. And yes, those feelings do come up, and I’m glad to say I’ve ‘Let it Go’ – for our parents and others were of another generation merely repeating what they were told. To me this is a mile-stone victory of how far we have come, though unfortunately there are still a lot of atavistic parents and people out there.

While you may want to check out the complete lyrics, a few choice phrases I particularly enjoyed are: Couldn’t keep it in, heaven knows I tried; Don’t let them in, don’t let them see; Be the good girl you always have to be; Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know; Well, now they know; Let it go, let it go; Can’t hold it back anymore ©

Can’t begin to tell you how this all resonates with me, and a ‘theme’ in much of my poetry. So, besides this winning song, it truly was a great Oscar® year with “12 Years a Slave” winning Best Picture, and Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto winning Best Actor and Supporting Actor (respectively) for “Dallas Buyers Club.” When the Oscars® acknowledges two such controversial movies for top honors, there is an awareness being spread that empowers us all to acceptance of ALL. A ‘Real’ Win – Win for the world.