"The illusions of childhood are necessary experiences: a child should not be denied a balloon because an adult knows that sooner or later it will burst."
Marcelene Cox
My mom gave me a box of our old Disney books a few months ago and Pip was instantly drawn to Cinderella. I was reluctant to read it to her. I mean, isn't there an official 'complex' named after Cinderella? I wasn't about to plant the 'handsome prince equals happily-ever-after' seed in my daughter's head. Pip was persistent though. Despite my efforts to hide the book at the bottom of the box, Cinderella kept making her way back into Pip's little hands. (And let's face it, Pip certainly wasn't ready to discover the fate of poor Bambi's mother!)
I watched Pip carefully throughout the reading of the book. Did she admire the prince? Was she afraid of the stepsisters? Did she notice the flawed logic in the post-midnight existence of the glass slippers??? Hard to tell. It was snack time.
Pip, Crazybaby & I sat down at the girls' little wooden table to enjoy a feast of sliced apple with cheddar cheese. After several delightful fruit and dairy combinations, Pip stopped chewing long enough to announce, "Mama, we're living happily-ever-after." There was no gown, no prince, no fairy-godmother; just the three of us with our apple and cheese. Hooray for Pip!!!
"Yes we are," said I, and suddenly the whole happily-ever-after concept seemed just fine.
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