Everywhere we walked there were little girls in princess dresses. They were beautiful in blue and pink and yellow with tiaras and curled hair. We were going to see the Broadway production of Cinderella. I knew most of the songs from the Rogers and Hammerstein version. The set was incredible with moving forests, and a little cottage in the woods, the raccoon and the fox came out of the trees and then magically turned into the coachman and the footman when Cinderella went to the ball and her fairy godmother flew across the stage sending her on her way.

I hope all those little girls took Cinderella’s message to heart. She kept true to herself, and she was able to do this in spite of the abuse of the stepmother. How? It was the absolute love that her father had for her and must have surrounded her with that gave her the knowledge that she was worthy, that allowed her to grow and believe in herself. She spoke plainly to the Prince about the plight of the his people, even in the midst of “Ten minutes ago I met you and we murmured our how-do-you-dos..” 

So, yes, it was a beautiful love-story and romance, but with two whole people. My favorite song is:

“In my own little corner in my own little chair
I can be whatever I want to be.
On the wings of my fancy I can fly anywhere
and the world will open its arms to me.”

This is how I got to be where I am. My “own little corner” was the top shelf of a closet, but it was still my place to be everything I wanted to be. We all need that one private space that gives us the room we need to breathe, to dream, to develop the person we want to be. I found my own courage there with a book, a journal and a flashlight.