Recently, I watch Tangled again (see previous comments) and remember how much I loved this scene.

Some back story from the movie: Rapunzel (the girl with the long hair) was stolen away by the woman she believed is her mother. Her actual parents, however, commemorate their missing daighter’s birthday by sending a floating light into the sky on hopes that their daughter will see it and return home.  That them at the beginning of the scene and it is their floating light that drifts next to the boat at the 2:50 mark. This practice of sending these floating lights towards the skies has clearly been adopted by the entire community, following the lead of the king and queen… and you can see the results. Each year Rapunzel saw the lights, was intriqued by them, and knew somehow that they held significance for her.

And I was reminded again of the power of community – one candle lights up some immediate space, many candles illuminate and warm much more or as the song indicates 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.

The differences here is completely transformed by the community support. It matters not that how it is motivated, by sympathy for grieving parents, in the bond of solidarity in action, or just the “Man, this looks cool” factor.  What matters is that the greater community got involved. We must always have that on our planning screens. .

Let this scene serve as a reminder that we just don’t need to work with kids like the green-eyed, long-haired blonde but also with parents and the whole community. It is their contributions as well that help young people sing suddenly I know… it’s crystal clear I’m where I’m meant to go.