What a fairy tale

Photo from Betolandia's Flickr account 

Every girl wants to be a princess.

We all dream of wearing that diamond tiara, looking extra pretty every morning as we get our hair and make-up done and select from the widest array of gowns, shoes, and expensive jewelry. We can’t help wanting to be fawned over by millions, and of course, meet the most gorgeous Prince Charming, fall madly in love with each other, marry him, and live in the hugest, grandest castle in the midst of grassy lands occupied by extra friendly woodland creatures.

But no one said anything about what’s in store for us in the real world.

There are times when we unwillingly go through the day with bed hair gnarling our faces, or legs looking like that of gorillas’. We take a look at our tiny closets and wear sweatpants because nothing else fits or the rest of the prettiest clothes we own have already been worn. We walk along the streets, one face among a million others. We’re no special.

Or when we do feel special, our hearts get shattered; we feel abandoned and we shield ourselves for fear of the unknown. We deal with flaws and society’s never-ending demands and unreachable standards. We scrape our pockets for money to get us by, because nothing is ever enough. Everyday scenarios depict the opposite of what we wanted; the world, as it seems, is far from ideal. Sometimes, we don’t even think it’s possible to cope with the wicked world we once dreamed of being perfect.

Life, as it turns out, isn't the fairy tale we've always thought was meant for us.

But even if it isn’t at all glamorous, and even if we leave traces of broken hearts as we go by, we still have the courage to wish upon those gleaming stars hidden beneath the darkest skies. As we keep our masks on, there’s that hope of sparkling beauty in the midst of all that is treacherous, no matter how cynical we turn out to be because of what the world puts us through.

I guess at some point, we all wanted the life of a princess. But we’ve learned to embrace reality and all its imperfections, shield the wicked witches, find the pair that fits, and write our own happily ever after.