What Tangled Taught Me About Being Single by Erica Ludwig

When I was a little girl, I LOVED Disney. I still do. It's typically one of the first things people notice about me. If you were to look at my movie collection, you would see that at least half of my DVDs are Disney, and whether that’s completely embarrassing or totally awesome is in the eye of the beholder. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve only grown more fond of the Walt Disney Company; from the rich history of the films, to the parks, to the magical feeling that never gets old, I will always be an advocate for the House of Mouse. Yep, I’m one of those people.

One of the biggest parts of the Disney franchise is its princesses. Some say these films and their famous couples are old fashioned, filling girls’ heads with unrealistic expectations of love and romance. But let's be honest, Hallmark is doing the exact same thing and I don’t exactly hear complaints about that. While I do agree that some of the fairytales are traditional  i.e. Cinderella and Snow White, there are some that I can’t help but relate to and see myself in, especially as a young single woman.

I once heard someone say,“If you knew your future spouse would be here in four years, what would you do with those four years?” Now, I’ve heard people talk about making the most of your single life before, but that statement really put things into perspective for me. Naturally, it got me thinking about what I would do with that time… and then, I thought of Tangled.

Ever since I saw Tangled in theatres in 2010, it has been one of my favorite Disney Princess movies to date. As soon as I heard Mandy Moore sing the opening song “When Will My Life Begin?”, I was captivated.

Rapunzel is undoubtedly one of the most relatable princesses. She is quirky, naive, creative, vulnerable, strong, emotional in the best way, a verbal processor, and good with a frying pan. Most importantly, she’s a dreamer. All she wanted was to see the floating lights she had only been able to observe from afar for the last 17 years.  

Singleness can often feel like you’re locked in this tower in a far off place, waiting for your life to start. At least that’s the way I felt for the longest time. You have all these hopes and dreams, but don’t want to miss God if you’re wrong, so you play it safe. You want to wait for His best, but you feel almost trapped in the waiting. There is no one in sight, except for your Mother Gothel.  

Now if you’re familiar with the plot of Tangled, you know that Mother Gothel wasn’t really Rapunzel’s mother at all. In fact, she had kidnapped her as a baby. All she did was keep Rapunzel comfortable for her own benefit. She only fed Rapunzel lies about who she was, and what she deserved in life. To me, that’s what Satan does. He wants anything but for us to realize our true identity. He wants to continue to keep us in the dark, have us believe the lies that we aren’t worthy, when really, he’s just a liar, scared for what will happen when we realize who we are, taking the crown that’s rightfully ours.

Rapunzel lived most of her life in a tower, though she didn’t know she was trapped or a prisoner. To her, it was the norm. It wasn’t until an unexpected visitor came along in the unlikely package  of Flynn Ryder that she decided she would leave the world she knew for the one she always wanted to see.

“Look at the world - so close, and I'm halfway to it!
Look at it all - so big - do I even dare?
Look at me - there at last! - I just have to do it

Should I?

No.

Here I go…”

I get it, taking risks is not easy. But we shouldn’t feel guilty about putting ourselves first for once. You’ll never know when it's the right time to live your dream, you just have to let your hair down and take the jump.

“For like the first time ever, I’m completely free”

Flynn Ryder didn’t even have to tell Rapunzel she was the princess, because he didn't know that himself. He was simply the jumpstart to her adventure. Sometimes it's the smallest or most unlikely moment that wakes us up, motivating us to live our lives to the fullest. Rapunzel had a dream, and she was going to make it happen no matter what, with or without a guide. The best part about this story is that in the process of chasing her dreams, Rapunzel found a new one in Flynn.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28

You don’t have to wait until you’re in a relationship to start your life. Don’t spend so much time living for your wedding day that you forget to live. The right person will come into your life at exactly the right moment. Now is the time of discovering who you are and what you want in life. Singleness is the perfect opportunity to get to know yourself and to find your true identity. Just like Rapunzel learned that she was a long lost princess all along, it isn’t too late for you to reestablish your view on singleness.

“I could go running and racing and dancing and chasing and leaping and bounding hair flying heart pounding and splashing and reeling and finally feeling, now’s when my life begins.

So now comes the important question: What would you do with your four years?

Go ahead, live your dream.

AUTHOR: ERICA LUDWIG