Reflection

‘Look at me
I will never pass for a perfect bride
Or a perfect daughter

Can it be 
I’m not meant to play this part?

Now I see
That if I were truly to be myself
I would break my family’s heart

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection someone I don’t know?

Somehow I cannot hide 
Who I am though I’ve tried 
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?’

Mulan sings this song right after another failure to conform to the role her family/society wanted for/from her, and right before choosing to pursue her own path. She did not know who she was at that time, but she knew she was called to something different because a person is more than a role.

I like this song, it gathers in a very immediate way all the struggles that you need to overcome to find yourself in a culture with a strong sense of tradition and belonging. This song speaks of love. Love for the family that you want to honour and make proud of you. Love for the self that you need to honour to be proud of you.

Love.

(Photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash)