The Disney movie, Encanto, is about a Columbian family that were refugees escaping from a violent attack on their village. As they escaped, when all hope seemed lost, they received a miracle. This miracle was a valley surrounded by mountains and a home that had its own personality. This miracle protected them.
As time went by every member of the family Madrigal received a gift. Everyone except the main character Mirabelle. One sister is extraordinarily strong and literal and figuratively carries everything on her shoulders, another is classically beautiful and perfect, another can hear everything, and then there is Bruno, but no one talks about Bruno.
Now one can only imagine that if you had received such an amazing miracle then you would want to make sure that nothing happens to endanger that blessing. Imagine the pressure you would feel not to mess it up.
The Grandmother, Abuela, who first received the miracle, oversees the family and she is afraid that the slightest crack in the household, both figuratively and literally, will endanger the miracle and the family and community that it creates and serves. In the end, the family realizes that the pressure to be perfect was tearing the family apart. That even though everyone had a special gift, the magic was in their willingness to help, care for, and work with each other. As it turned out, Mirabel’s true gift was caring for her family. The girl who everyone believed had no gifts was exactly what the family needed.
There are many gifts but only one family, one love, one spirit…however we want to describe it. When we use our gifts to the best of our ability and lift each other up and makes us all better, not perfect but better, we make our world a better place.
Being vulnerable and imperfect is a part of who we are. Even the strong grandmother and Mirabelle needed each other and the love of their family to be whole. The core of being a family is holding on to that one love that holds us together. Only that one love. Mountains can fall, oceans can rise, and viruses can spread, the snow can fall, and the wind can blow but it is that thread of care, concern, love, faith, hope that holds us together.
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