“Black Panther” has been all the rage for the past two weeks and I finally got to see what all the excitement is about. Four days later I’m still saying and singing Wakanda forever.

Thanks to social media, prior to heading to the theater I was alerted to powerful messages or themes in the blockbuster movie. Being a fatherless daughter advocate, of course, my say-that-girl radar chimed a few times as I tried to focus on Black Panther’s every move.

You, ladies and gentlemen, came to mind Monday while I reflected on the movie because there are messages in “Black Panther” applicable to anyone who grew up without a father.

3 Life-Changing Quotes for Fatherless Children from ‘Black Panther‘

No man is perfect, not even your father.

You’ve probably never thought about your father this way because perhaps you’ve focused on what you see as his imperfections. Not to make any excuse for his wrongs or dismiss him from his responsibilities as a father, but it is important to remember that we are all flawed. How will you choose to deal with your father’s flaw(s)? That will determine YOUR character.

You can’t let your father’s mistakes define you.

What did he do to you? Or maybe I should ask, what didn’t he do for you? Whichever question you answer, your response is usually the reason you feel the way you do and that feeling can be debilitating. So much so that you may begin to identify yourself by those aches. Acknowledge your father’s mistakes but don’t allow them to define who you. Instead, be your best you with God as you shepherd and, by faith, believe that you are who God says you are according to His Word.

Only you can decide what kind of king [or queen] you will be.

Regardless of your circumstances, ultimately, you are responsible for you. Will you be a queen walking in freedom or a queen trapped in bondage? Adjust your crown, daughter, and walk in the freedom and authority God has made available to His children. To do so, you’ll have to forgive your father (and maybe even others who you have resentment towards because of your fatherless daughter circumstance). There is freedom in forgiveness. Girl, say that!