Fairy tales. They’re those things parents read to their daughters before they go to sleep every night. They’re those movies parents put on for their daughters to watch on weekend nights with the babysitter. They’re those things that little girls base their lives off of at such a young age. They start to fantasize about finding the perfect boyfriend or husband who will take care of them forever and will always keep them safe.

Disney does such a great job teaching young girls that a boy can be the answer to all life’s struggles.
Can girls not take care of themselves? Can girls not be happy on their own? Is it completely insane to think that girls can live a great life without being tied to anyone else?

Let’s take a more realistic approach. No one has a complete happily-ever-after. There are problems we all must face in life. It’s just part of being human. We all fight. We all yell. We all cry. No one is perfect and you are going to get hurt a few more times than you think, but, in the end, that’s what makes us stronger.

If all of us, girls, waited around for our Prince Charming to slay our dragons for us, we would just be a helpless burden. What guy actually wants to be with a girl he has to do every single little thing for? None. The pain that we have to go through in life only makes us stronger and helps us learn more about ourselves and the world. If girls wait around their whole lives for a boy to come rescue them, they will learn nothing and will not get anything out of life.

The way I see it, the modern day fairy tale doesn’t have to include a boy who ends up sweeping a girl off her feet. If he does, great. The real magic, though, is being able to stand on your own. Being independent. Thinking and doing for yourself. Being able to face life at the hardest times, struggling through, just to end up above the surface. That is something to be admired. And in the midst of all of it, if there’s a boy who comes to value all that you are, with regard to everything you’ve been through, then that’s a fairy tale worth living.