'Til chapter three

When I was little I used to dream of my prince charming. I'd watch Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast imagining that I was the princess who needed romancing and saving from an evil sorceress or an arrogant hunk. Only, now that I've grown up, I've realized that I don't need saving.

I see so many girls who are defined by their relationships. They spend every waking moment absorbed in this one person, with no other thought than when their next make-out session is going to be or if he's going to call that day. Their lives revolve and depend soley upon this person. And another sad side-effect of this kind of relationship is that girls are constantly altering their personalities for these boys. I see girls who feel like they have to repress parts of themselves to be accepted by their significant other. They say they love them and justify it that way, but it remains completely ridiculous. Isn't true love supposed to be unconditional? Isn't love supposed to bring out your true self, make you better? Why would anyone settle for a lesser, sub-standard love when true love is out there, waiting? I don't understand. I'm not trying to condesend, but I wish I could help them see that love doesn't equal lust, submission, and repression. Not at all. Love encompasses respect, compassion, and trust. Something I wonder and hope Cinderella discovered.
And if you're wondering, I'm not a feminist, not at all. I say all that to say, it's nice when your prince charming doesn't try to rescue you, change you, or wake you up. That you can save him. That you can be yourself with him, in spite of the fact that he's endearingly perfect. That you can walk proudly beside your prince instead of two steps behind him. That you can both be strong, together.
And, thankfully, I have found mine.