Blog 4
Cinderella: My stepmother doesn’t want me to be happy. She let her daughters tear up my dress, so I wouldn’t have anything to wear to the ball.
Therapists: Still, you made it to the dance. What happens when you leave home and go out into the world?
Cinderella: I am charming and happy.
Therapists: Do you see how your situation forms you into something strong or weak?
Cinderella. I understand, but they can’t order me to stop dreaming.
Some have argued that the point of the Cinderella story is how the prince had to have Cinderella try on a shoe because he didn’t recognize her without makeup. I think the prince in the story plays a very insignificant part. Instead, I focus on how Cinderella was a wallflower at home and the bell of the ball at night. Just like Cinderella was impacted by her home environment, children are also affected by the environment they grow up in.
“Where did you grow up?” can be a loaded question. The memories of some children are often defined more by pain than the street they grew up on. Streets become associated with things like Jefferson Street, where the electricity was cut off, Lincoln Street, where I had to stay home from school and babysit, or Washington Street, where my mom had to stay in the hospital after my dad punched her.
Hard roads can make hard people understandably. But unfortunately, I don’t know the answers to poverty, violence, or substance abuse.
What I do know is that if I could have one wish, it would be that every child would have access to a good education. I believe this would allow children to participate more fully in decisions that affect them now and in their future.
I’m too old to believe that my fairy princess will appear and grant me my wish, but just like Cinderella, I will keep dreaming.
Never forget, kids, go through stuff too!
Always be kind!
I appreciate you reading my post, and I hope you will join me in the community that brings awareness to mental health. You will soon discover that you are not alone.
Disclaimer: Social media is not therapy. Everything I share should be viewed as a guide, not an intervention. Everyone is different, and different insights and tools may resonate differently depending on your situation. Take care of your mental health.
