I sit on the carpet; my young eyes gaze at the glowing screen. Encapsulated by the scene in front of me, I watch, eagerly anticipating what will happen next. I am drawn in by beautiful gowns, princesses, handsome princes, and animal sidekicks.
I urgently wrote that I wanted a Cinderella dress for my Christmas present that year. Sure enough, behind the tree that year was a pair of itty-bitty glass slippers meant for my little feet and my own Cinderella dress. I was over the moon with excitement. I could finally be a princess just like all the ones I saw on TV.
What I didn’t know at that time was that a few months later, I would be able to meet Cinderella, while wearing that dress, at Disney World. That was the day when all my 4-year-old dreams had come true. I got to meet all the princesses I had admired for the longest time. Flynn Rider even let me look at Rapunzel’s crown, which he had taken out of his satchel just for me.
I had gone home from that trip with a heart so full that I only wanted to put on a gown and twirl.
Now, that young girl is seventeen, and her wish to be a princess remains exactly the same. I’ve always loved princesses, mostly because of what they got to wear. I’ve longed to have the opportunity to feel like a princess in a gown like that. I’ve jumped at all my chances to buy new dresses and get all dolled up to attend any event that I could.
I love getting my hair done, curled, and flowy. I can strap on shoes that sparkle, shine, and add inches to my height but are a pain on my toes. And I can happily twirl in a gown that I had always dreamed of wearing.
One night, there was a chance to do just that. My hair was curled, my heels were high, and my dress was down to the floor, vines and leaves covering the other layers of fabric.
As the night progressed, I was filled with joy and excitement. Twirling and walking around in shoes too tall for my feet, I felt beautiful. Dancing to every song that blasted on the speakers with all of my friends was like a scene right out of a high school movie.
While I might not be royalty, I felt like I became what I wanted to be. What I had yearned to be for the longest time was a dream come true. At four, I had wanted to be a princess like in the movies. Now, I’m living in my own movie, but one thing is now true.
That little girl is a princess.
