Disney came out with the movie Tangled, an adaptation of the story of Rapunzel, in 2010, when I had already graduated from college and was well beyond the Disney princess phase. Now that I am a mom to three girls, however, we’re firmly back in that phase, and I’ve seen the movie approximately one million times.
The Song
My girls frequently ask about who my favorite princess is, and it’s a hard call for me, as Rapunzel has captured my heart like only Belle had before. One of the most beautiful parts of the movie is when Rapunzel convinces her man-to-be to take her to see the “floating lights,” which are released by her royal parents (though she doesn’t know they’re her parents at the time) to signify the birthday of their kidnapped-as-a-baby daughter. The scene is set to the movie’s best song, “I See the Light,” which was later nominated for Best Original Song at the 2011 Academy Awards.
Though it’s a beautiful song in its context in the movie (a love song), every time I hear it, the words actually remind me of those magical first days and moments after a new baby arrives. There is something about actually seeing that baby, squishy and warm and pink, that evokes emotions that were buried the whole nine months of pregnancy. At least for me, when I’m pregnant, though I’m excited to meet the baby, it’s just so hard to imagine him or her.
Seeing With Our Own Eyes
Maybe it’s a bit like heaven will be. I can’t really understand how magnificent it will be because I haven’t seen it or experienced it myself. I know in my head that it will be a wonderful place, better than I can possibly imagine, but I know no details because my humanity limits my ability to imagine the future. Babies are like that; we know we’ll love them but until we see them and hold them in our arms, we just can’t really fathom the depth of that love.
I try to be forward thinking, long-sighted, believing that the challenges of trying to conceive, the waiting, the hard parts of pregnancy will be worth it. But until I see that little bundle, it’s just a joy anticipated. I love to have a picture in my mind of where I’m headed, and with a baby, I just can’t do that until he’s in my arms, where I can see him. We recently welcomed baby #4 to our family, and all again I felt these words ring true.
The Lyrics
And at last I see the light
And it’s like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it’s like the sky is new
And it’s warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you
Now That I See You
So, little one, everything is different, now that I see you.
Now that I see you, I can’t imagine living without you. I can barely recall life before you were here.
Now that I see you, I know your name fits you like a glove, even after agonizing for months about what we should call you.
Now that I see you, I can decide which family member(s) I think you resemble, and hear the fun comments from others about how you look like great uncle so-and-so.
Now that I see you, I have forgotten how sick and tired I felt during those nine (ten, really!) long months of pregnancy
Now that I see you, I can imagine you as a toddler, playing with your siblings and generally wreaking havoc on their girly world.
Now that I see you, I fight to enjoy the sweet moments and forget the hard ones.
Now that I see you, I battle worry over losing you. I must choose each day to laugh without fear of the future (Proverbs 31:25) and delight in the good gift that you are (Psalm 127:3).
