Families who are hiding in bomb shelters and other safe spaces have a difficult struggle. Safety concerns aside, they struggle with how to help their children navigate this harrowing experience.
In times of crisis, parents face a particular difficulty. Ukrainian parents do not have the luxury of taking time to tell their kids about the war, to process the ways to make the information digestible and unalarming. Unable to shelter their children from reality, it can be difficult to get through day-to-day life, especially away from home and, in many cases, members of their families.
One little girl reminded an entire bomb shelter in Kyiv that this situation is not making little ones lose their light. Her impassioned performance of "Let It Go" from Frozen reminds the world that kids are still pretending, imagining, and dreaming among the worst of circumstances.
As Ukrainians wonder what each day will bring and when they'll know peace again, the youngest among them are keeping hope alive. Marta Smekhova was at a Ukrainian bomb shelter, helping children work through the moment with art, when she met a little girl named Amelia.
Amelia told Marta that she loves art and music. She sings and dreams of singing on a world stage, but worried the war would keep that dream from coming true. Marta then asked Amelia, why not start with the room they were in right now?
Amelia was hesitant. She worried that there were more important things going on, or that people wouldn't hear her over the noise. Marta continued to encourage her and, with her mom's permission, took video of Amelia singing for all those in the shelter.
Amelia chose to sing "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen. Everyone in the bomb shelter stopped what they were doing to watch. Some cried, while others smiled and took videos.
Marta got Amelia's mom's permission to share the video online, and it went viral quickly. People were amazed at the little girl's bravery, not just in front of an audience but in the face of everything happening in her world. The video even made its way to Idina Menzel, who sings "Let It Go" in the film.
Idina retweeted the video, sharing this beautiful moment that Amelia made happen with even more of the world.
"We see you. We really, really see you, " she wrote.
Audiences around the world are reaching out to Marta with offers of ways to help or celebrate Amelia at a safer time. Thankfully, Amelia has made it to stay with her grandmother in Poland and is officially safe. Marta is sharing messages with the little girl's mom, who is still in Kyiv.
Amelia is elated to learn audiences around the world have seen her performance. Now she knows the sky is the limit, no matter how things seem.
