Survivors’ Anthem Series #31: “Soon” -Thumbelina - Jodi Benson

A Childhood Anthem of Hope

April is Child Abuse Prevention & Awareness Month.

For this month’s Survivors’ Anthem Series, I’m focusing on something deeply personal:

The songs that helped us survive as children.

The quiet songs. The hopeful songs. The ones we held onto when we didn’t yet have the words for what we were going through.

This is Survivors’ Anthem #31:

“Soon” — from Thumbelina, sung by Jodi Benson

And this is her second appearance in the anthem series.

A Song That Felt Like Longing

The first time I saw Thumbelina and heard this song, something inside me shifted.

I didn’t fully understand why at the time.

But I felt it.

A deep longing. An ache in my chest. A quiet hope.

This song wasn’t just something I listened to.

It was something I felt.

Loving and Hurting at the Same Time

As a child, my life was confusing.

On one side, I had my mom and her side of the family, who gave me endless love.

On the other side, I was living with abuse from my stepdad.

I felt loved…

And I felt hurt.

Both things existed at the same time.

And as a child, that’s incredibly hard to understand.

Wanting a “Normal” Life

I remember wanting what other kids had.

A normal, happy life. A safe home. A childhood that didn’t feel complicated.

Watching movies like Thumbelina, I saw a world where things worked out for a person who felt different.

Where love was gentle. Where happiness was real. Where things got better.

And I wanted that so badly.

“Soon” Became a Promise

The song “Soon” became something more than just music.

It became a promise I held onto.

A belief that someday… I would be happy. I would feel safe. And life wouldn’t feel like something I had to escape from.

Even if, at the time, that hope felt like pretend.

When Music Holds Hope for You

Children don’t always have the language to explain what they’re going through.

But they feel everything.

And sometimes, music becomes the place where those feelings live.

For me, this song held:

Hope I couldn’t say out loud. Dreams I didn’t know how to explain. And the belief that something better was waiting.

A Thank You

To Jodi Benson, thank you for giving voice to a song that carries so much emotion, softness, and hope.

Your voice has now been part of more than one anthem in this series, and both have meant something deeply personal in different ways.

Sometimes a gentle song can hold more power than we realize.

What This Anthem Means to Me

For me, this anthem represents something incredibly important:

Hope during a time when I needed it most.

Hope that life could be different. Hope that happiness could be real.Hope that someday wouldn’t just be something I imagined.

Because sometimes the songs we hold onto as children…

are the ones that help us believe we’ll make it through.

What’s Next in the Survivors’ Anthem Series

This month, in honor of Child Abuse Prevention & Awareness Month, the Survivors’ Anthem Series will focus on:

Childhood songs that helped us survive.

The songs we turned to when we didn’t have words. The songs that gave us comfort. The songs that gave us hope.

If you have a childhood song that helped you through a difficult time, I would love to hear it.

Because those songs matter.

And so do the stories behind them.

💜 Stay Connected & Keep the Music Going

💜 Learn more about the Survivors’ Anthem Series

💜 Listen to the Survivors’ Anthem Playlist on Spotify and YouTube

💜 Join the movement and learn about The Jane Project

💜 Get your copy of Because of Jane

👉 What was your Survivors’ Anthem? Send an email or drop a comment.