I was watching Princess and the Frog a few weeks ago, and started thinking…I can relate to Tianna: “I work real hard each and every day…I’m almost there”. After thinking about it, I realized I wasn’t always Tianna. For instance, Rapunzel and Snow White fit into my story as life changed. WARNING: spoilers ahead!
My first princess would have to be Snow White. In the beginning, she lives with the Evil Queen. Her life, although seems like sunshine and roses, probably has a bit of a dark tinge to it. Think about what the queen is willing to do to be “farest of them all”. Snow White can’t be completely oblivious to the world around her. She had to know her step-mother was not who she needed to be.
I grew up with an alcoholic. He wasn’t quite Evil Queen quality, but there were many nights where I was scared of the yelling and other loud noises from down the hall. My parents apparently hid these events well, because years later relatives still didn’t know what happened. Thus, the deception of the Evil Queen.
After the huntsman sends Snow White running into the forest, she finds a small house where seven dwarfs live. This young girl falls into their laps, and they don’t think twice. They simply take her in as part of the family. She takes care of them, and they take care of her. It almost seems as if she is supposed to be there by some great design.
The middle of 5th grade marks the start of my dark period (the huntsman’s march to the forest). Depression took hold of me, but I tried so hard to keep it to myself. My forest turned into junior high. Now, I didn’t meet all my “dwarfs” at once, and there weren’t seven in the beginning. I first hung out with my now best friend and sister in seventh grade at lunch. Let’s call her Doc.
Here is were my story changes a tiny bit from Snow White. I met Doc while I was still running from the huntsman. Just as he raised his knife above my head, she invited me to go sledding. The next day, I met the second “dwarf”. Her mom took us sledding, and made us hot cocoa. The best hot cocoa. The three of us talked, and I wound up spending the night at her house that night. The huntsman dropped his knife and stepped back.
I haven’t seen the huntsman in a few years, but I still get lost in the forest sometimes. I think we all do. Luckily, I have my “dwarfs”. My family. See, my sister and her family took me in. They gave me the safe place and love I needed when my parents were busy dealing with their own stuff. My “dwarfs” didn’t ask questions, they didn’t judge, they saw a need and opened their hearts and home.