A Change in Me

A couple of days ago, I saw a production of Beauty and the Beast with my mother and sister.  It was very well done, and I'm really glad I had that opportunity.  On thing that I particularly enjoyed was hearing all of the songs and dialogues that aren't in the movie version.  The song that stuck out most to me was the one Belle sings near the end of the second act, after she has rescued her father from being lost in the woods.  She's talking about her changed feelings toward the beast, and this is what she sings:

There's been a change in me
A kind of moving on
Though what I used to be
I still depend upon
For now I realize
That good can come from bad
That may not make me wise
But oh it makes me glad

And I---I never thought I'd leave behind
My childhood dreams
But I don't mind
For now I love the world I see
No change of heart; a change in me

For in my dark despair
I slowly understood
My perfect world out there
Had disappeared for good
But in it's place I feel
A truer life begin
And it's so good and real
It must come from within

And I---I never thought I'd leave behind
My childhood dreams but I don't mind
I'm where and who I want to be
No change of heart; a change in m

That song really stood out to me, because I feel like those lyrics can be applied to a lot of situations, including my own life.  Every day I feel like I have another experience that removes more of the innocence of my childhood and adolescent years, and even though it's hard, I know what I've become is much better than what I used to be.  I'm far from perfect, but I know that the experiences I'm going through, both good and bad, will get me there if I use them for my good.