After twenty years, the Icon Hannah Montana is back. Time flew by in the blink of an eye. It seems like just yesterday we were watching her on Disney Channel, switching so seamlessly between her singer alter-ego and down-to-earth Miley Cyrus. We have all grown up. Graduated. Moved out and away. Landed a job and learned how to do our taxes. The stresses of life got to us, weaseling their way into the corners of our days, clouding our brightest moments. Reminding us that there is always something to do; We’re always running towards a finish line that seems to get further and further away the longer we run. 

We forgot the feeling of a stress-free life. Of a time when all we had to do was go to school, and we came back home to freedom. The feeling of not having to pay rent every month. Or the credit card bill. The feeling of sleeping in and not having the guilt of doing nothing. The freedom of being young and not being anxiety-ridden. We slowly lost our hold on the things we liked. On doing things for enjoyment, not out of necessity. 

The Hannah Montana reunion reminds us of comfort. Of a time much simpler than this one. And with her return comes joy. A remembrance of laughter just because. No strings attached. 

Everybody Makes Mistakes

Growing up is inevitable. The years pass by whether or not we want them to. Time goes on. We grow up. And we forget that we need to have things in our lives that make us happy. Stepping back into activities or shows helps us reconnect with our younger selves. With aspects of our old lives that brought us happiness. 

We have a deep yearning for peace and being involved again in things that we once loves kids can bring that feeling back to us. We often disregard the things we enjoyed as children because we believe we have outgrown them. That it is no longer appropriate to love them. “We are too old for that nonsense.” What twenty-something-year-old still watches Disney television shows? We decided that, after a certain age, we no longer deserve to take part in things just for fun. That the age of entertainment and whimsy has expired. 

Growing up equals dull and boring days. 

But there are so many benefits to staying connected with the younger versions of us. Holding onto the hobbies, interests, and passions that we had as kids can be vital for emotional and mental well-being. They can supply a sense of comfort to us in challenging times, a familiar face in the unknown. They help reduce stress, taking us back emotionally to a time when we had virtually none. They also provide a feeling of security and stability when everything seems to be changing and evolving despite your best efforts. 

Carrying something with you throughout your formative years can build a foundation for your identity and the rest of your life. To know you have something that will always be there, no matter how old you become, is consoling as you grow up. It establishes a continuation in your core. A sense of footing in times of transition. The Hannah Montana reunion gave us just that. 

Everybody Has Those Days

 Holding onto things we took joy from can also help improve our moods and increase our self-esteem. Such a sense of nostalgia and engagement in our youth gives us the freedom to enjoy simply because we enjoy. It reminds us that we can laugh as we used to, and can provide a sense of escape into a different world than the demanding one we exist in now. 

Taking part in such youthful things is different from the usual ‘adult’ activities of having to pay to go somewhere or do something. Of having fun with an agenda behind it. Our childhoods were simple, and stepping into them once more brings that simplicity back. Gone is the guilt of not being ‘productive enough,’ or doing enough with your time. Not every moment needs to be geared towards making money or completing a task. Taking back your time and doing things you enjoy lets you be carefree again. And we all deserve that. 

The Hannah Montana reunion forced us to take a pause. To recognize the time that has passed and how much we have grown as people. Not just in years, but in mentality. In our hearts. When we associate ourselves once again with our childhood interests, we find a community. A unity with people who are also interested in and find joy in the same things we do. 

We have a sense of safety, a way to cope and manage our adult feelings. It helps us realize that the things we deem as the end of the world, the problems that seem to overtake our days, aren’t that serious. We can still laugh at things; it’s not the end. 

The Hannah Montana reunion woke us up from a bad dream. We are ten years old again, playing and running around. Singing along with the television. We never grew up. Stay connected with your younger self. You might find yourself to happier than you thought.

Did you watch the reunion? Let us know what you thought in the comments below!