Happy forever? A realistic look at the love story of Cinderella and her handsome prince
I wonder what Cinderella would tell us about relationships if we could talk to her now? Would it be “Ladies, don’t give up hope. There’s a handsome prince out there for you”, or would it be, “Pretty girl, let me tell you. This handsome prince thing is not all it seems!”
His is a truly remarkable story from poverty to riches. She was a little girl whom her father loved deeply. In fact, she was his little princess until the day he showed up and said, “This is your new mom. And these are your new sisters.” Shriek, to hold. New mommy? Who said something about a new mom? Cinderella was kindness and goodness and all, but do you think she was that happy about it? I do not think so.
Add to that the struggles of the blended family. Loving, supporting and accepting does not happen by chance. Lynsey Mattingly’s article on Scary mommy warns of 10 things no one tells you about having a mixed family. I won’t go into them, I’ll just sum it up by saying, “It’s hard!” The division of labor, sleeping arrangements, discipline, all of these things and more must be resolved and negotiated. And even if you get it to work on paper, there are emotional issues that spoil the best laid plans.
We don’t know if Cinderella was a spoiled little girl who refused to share her father with anyone. We do not know if his father chose his needs over those of others, although he could have been unconscious. We don’t know if the stepmom was nice at first, but she was too difficult or mean throughout the entire process. Different adaptations of the story take liberties with all that. However, one thing is for sure. Cinderella’s father died and the life she had come to love died with him.
“Someday my prince will come” became her only hope of escape. In the same way, it is the song of the heart of many women who think that finding Mr. Perfect is the answer to their problems.
On the other hand, there is the Prince. He was also the apple of his parents’ eyes. They also worshiped him and he was destined to be king. But if we venture behind the curtain, we see a very conflicted and imprisoned soul. While Cinderella’s dream was to be rescued, hers was to break free. He wanted to experience the world outside the confines of the palace. They both felt trapped in their situations, this is true. And this probably made both of them feel an instant connection. But the way they dealt with their pain was completely different.
Isn’t that like relationships? We feel closer to someone who then brings out our worst insecurities. That’s the messy part of happily ever after that isn’t that glamorous, but needs to be told anyway. Because unless we confront our emotional constructs, they will deprive us of the intimacy we really want.