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 “Hunny Child, let me tell you. This Handsome Prince thing isn’t as good as it sounds.” !”
His is a truly remarkable story from rags to riches. She was a girl very loved by her father. In fact, she was her little princess until the day she showed up and said, “This is your new mom. And these are your new sisters.” Shriek, hold. new mommy? Who said anything about a new mom? Cinderella was goodness and kindness and all, but do you think she was that happy about it? I do not think.
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 that nobody tells you about having a blended 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 need to be worked out and negotiated. And even if you make it work on paper, there are emotional issues that ruin the best laid plans.
We don’t know if Cinderella was a spoiled brat who refused to share her father with anyone. We don’t know if her father thought her needs were greater than others’, although she may have been unaware. We don’t know if the stepmom was nice at first, but she got too tough or mean all the time. Different adaptations of the story take liberties with all of 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 his only hope of escape. In the same way, it is the song of the heart of many women who think that finding the perfect man is the answer to their problems.
On the other hand, there is the Prince. He was also the apple of his parents’ eye. He too was gifted and 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. She 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 bread 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 all that glamorous but needs to be told anyway. Because unless we confront our emotional constructs, they will rob us of the intimacy we really want.
