It’s Okay to Feel…

Hey there, Front Row friends.

I’m coming to you with a somewhat different blog today. Here on the blog, I like to keep things light, fun, and (usually) full of puns. Now, however, that isn’t the tone that feels quite right. The current state of the world is rather confusing and even a touch scary. Personally, I’ve found myself unmotivated to do much of anything beyond the bare minimum. But I’m here to let you know that it’s okay.

However you may be feeling, it’s okay to feel that way. It’s alright to feel mad that a big event got canceled after you’ve been looking forward to it. It’s just fine to feel sad and to miss your friends and other loved ones. It’s totally understandable to be feeling super stressed because many things around us are changing at what feels like an incredibly rapid pace.

When I’m feeling the much -ness of it all, I turn to stories: books, movies, phone calls with friends. I thought we could remember some stories together on the blog today. Here are some characters that have faced big feelings, of sadness, loss, fear, and more. They don’t let these feelings overtake them; they live through the experience with the help of loved ones and carry on to share their beautiful stories.

Horton the Elephant, Seussical
Horton is treated as an oddball by most of his neighbors, especially when he takes a clover full of invisible Whos into his care. He experiences many trials and obstacles in his journey to protect the small planet, but eventually is seen as the hero that the audience (and Gertrude McFuzz) has known him to be the whole time.

Princess Anna, Disney’s Frozen Jr.
After the untimely loss of their royal parents, Anna’s sister Elsa shuts her out to protect her from the future Queen’s unknown powers. After years of sadness and confusion, Anna manages to overcome both the emotional and physical barriers in her path to not only save the kingdom but to come together as a family once again.

Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
Faced with a blindside break-up and a broken heart, Elle doesn’t hide away from the world. She channels her sadness and frustration into gaining admission to Harvard Law School, finding true friends, knowledge, and personal confidence along the way, all the while dressed in style.

Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh
If creatures were weather, Eeyore would probably be a rainy day. That doesn’t stop his friends from including him on their Hundred Acre Wood adventures!

Sara Crewe, The Little Princess
When tragedy strikes, Sara is left alone in a girls’ school, faced with a bully, a lack of acceptance, and the whirlwind that comes when one’s world so rapidly changes. With grace and gumption, she rises above the negativity and finds her own happy ending.

Cinderella
Orphaned like so many fairytale heroes and heroines before her, Cinderella is left in the care of her evil stepmother and cruel stepsisters. She doesn’t allow the toil of endless chores and unkind words to make her hard. Instead, she remains kind and is blessed with a fairy godmother who helps her chase her dreams and chase her circumstances.

Take this moment to sit up a little straighter. Take a deep breath. Okay, now another one. Give yourself permission to feel, however that may be right now. Heck, it might even change in the next day, hour, or minute. That’s alright. We are all going through a huge series of changes. Let’s remember to treat one another and ourselves with an extra bit of kindness. I believe in you, friend. We’re going to get through this together. Stay safe and we’ll see you again soon, on the blog, in our virtual classes, and (eventually) at the theatre.

Take care,
Shannon

P.S. If you, like me, find yourself missing our Encore friends, please consider joining us in a virtual class or tune in for one of our Instagram Live chats with teaching artists, students, and more.

Photos by Connie Polnow, Larry McClemons, and Cindy Kane Photography. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.

It’s Okay to Feel…

Encore Stage & Studio

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