I know people who hunger for fairy tale lives.
They want to meet someone and fall in love, have a fairy tale wedding, create the perfect family, and live happily ever after. They want to vanquish the villain, slay the dragon, and live happily ever after.
I cannot fault them for wanting everything to work out well. It may not be the life I want; each of us gets to recognize the desires of our own hearts.
What I question is their understanding of how fairy tales actually work.
In the fairy tales that I read, or even tell, the “fairy tale wedding” and the “happily ever after” are really very small elements of the story. They often happen outside the structure of the story itself. They are neither the focus nor the point of the fairy tale; they are not where the action happens.
The fairy tales I love, and that inspire me the most, are stories of remembering and discovery. The loyal and enterprising servant defeats the dragon and is discovered to be the long-lost heir to the throne. True love breaks envy’s spell and awakens the beautiful princess. Even farm boy Luke Skywalker is revealed to be a worthy Jedi knight.
My fairy tale is not about happily ever after. My fairy tale is filled with enchanted castles and obstacles to overcome. There are tests of valor and wisdom. Hidden depths are explored, and hidden truths are revealed.
I turn each page and take each step, and my deeper identity is revealed. Slowly, deliberately, I awaken and become the person I have the potential to become. Each day I discover my true self and share it with the rest of the kingdom.
Are you living your fairy tale?
What will you discover about your true self today?
[Image by photon_de]
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In