“I don’t want to be anything other than what I’ve been trying to be lately” – Gavin DeGraw

I’m a fan of the Disney Princess – it’s true – but I’ve been thinking this week how I don’t want to be treated like a princess. I know someone who was “treated like a princess” by her parents in the negative sense of the term – they did everything for her, she had that sense of entitlement, that dependency on them to make her happy, that desire to be lavished with attention and gifts and the expectancy to get her way. So many of the princesses in movies are beautiful little sweetie pies waiting on a prince to save them and make them happy. No thanks. I want to be capable of making my own decisions, my own happiness. Mom often says, “plant your own garden, decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.” Being dependant on another person to make me happy never works, but my most healthy relationships come from being complete and whole in who I am in Christ so any surplus love is a blessing, not a source of life. We were created to have relationships with people, so I would much rather have a dance partner than dance alone, and I love flowers, but I want to delight in those things, not depend on them. In the relationships I admire, the individuals are whole and so when they come together are an even stronger force. The women are valued without being treated like they are incompetent.

This week I was thinking back to this spring when I was playing Mario Kart with Brandon, Carter, & Scott. My character was Princess Peach. I was in the race with the boys and could keep up with them (haha – sorta…sometimes they were mean and lapped me). I often ran into walls and off the road into the river. But the point was, I didn’t need them to drive for me – I could do it myself, thank you very much. I wanted to be a part of the action, part of the adventure, even if that meant going at my own pace, and the best part was I could still have the big pink dress and do those things. Women have their own strengths to bring to the table and may go at different paces than men, but are still invaluable players in the journey and adventures this life affords. So maybe I can relate to Peach – who doesn’t want to be treated like a princess, but a collaborator in the action.