My childhood was filled with barbies, dress up, and Disney movies. I spent hours looking up to fictional characters and pretending I was just like one of those princesses. I began to dream about the day someone, a man would find me and carry me into his light and away from this darkness. I fantasized about that day for years and years.

I was always told I looked like a barbie, or I would make a perfect Cinderella. I really felt like I matched with that image. Ironically, I spent most of my childhood living out this fantasy in my head. I had to clean the house just like Cinderella, on the floor with a scrub brush and a bucket. Beautiful long blonde hair, and the hatred that surrounded her.

Originally I believed that this movie had taught me to wait around for my Prince Charming who will come save me and give me everything I had ever dreamt. However, now I believe I have learned something even more important. Cinderella had beauty in the inside and outside of herself. Her step family tried their hardest to hide her, rip her clothes, and traumatize her so that they could feel beautiful. They couldn’t stand the feelings within themselves because her brightness could only naturally shine a light into their own darkness. Cinderella made friends with the nature around her, and she took care of the earth. In return the universe took care of her.

The point of the story wasn’t for her to meet her Prince Charming and live happily ever after. That’s not the point of my story either. The point was that Cinderella fought hard to allow herself to be seen as herself. When she was seen her light took up space and shined a light into the darkness.