3 Rules for Princesses

For some reason, on my way home tonight from "Night of God", I started thinking about princesses. Now for those of you who know me best, you know this is not an uncommon thing. I'm rather taken with princesses. I have a pair of purple socks with crowns on them that say "Certified Princess Instructor". My favorite books, for the most part, have princesses--or little girls who ACT like them--as the heroine. One of my everlasting frustrations with the world today is the bad reputation of princesses. According to many people, princesses are either defined solely by Disney (which is only right some of the time), or they are defined as pink-loving, bling-wearing, spoiled rotten daddy's girls. Now I love pink, I'm quite fond of diamonds, and I'm definitely daddy's little girl...But that in and of itself doesn't make me a princess. So let me tell you what I was thinking on my way home...

These are the 3 Rules for Princesses.

1. A princess is the daughter of the King. Not just A King, but The King. So just as Victoria, Elizabeth, and Margaret were princesses because their fathers were British monarchs, so every girl on the planet can be a princess if she realizes and accepts that she is the daughter of The King of the Universe.

2. With great power comes great responsibility. Princesses should be known for their kindness, loyalty, bravery, and generous heart. A princess knows her place, therefore she does not need to demand. A selfish whiner who expects everything to be handed to her and who treats those who are around her as second-class is not acting like a princess. As I said in #1, a princess is a princess not because of who SHE is, but because of who her FATHER is. She has authority because He gives her authority. Everything she has is from Him. He is what makes her--and who teaches her to be--extraordinary. Excellent examples of princesses like this include Sara, from The Little Princess, and Irene from The Princess and the Goblin. In fact, if you really want to know why I love princesses and why I believe every girl is one, you will understand if you read both those books. Oh, and The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye as well.

3. I had a third one in my head, but I lost it. So I will use this space to explain why I think Disney only gets it right sometimes. The Brothers Grimm (IMHO), knew what a princess was. So did Hans Christian Andersen, though I often get the two mixed up as to who wrote what and where everything originated. :P Snow White, Cinderella, and Princess Aurora were Real Princesses. Belle from B&TB was a Real Princess. Jasmine and Ariel are princesses, but I would hesitate to call them REAL Princesses. That one could be argued. And the whole IDEA of "the Disney Princesses" with their bikes, sleeping bags, and cheesy marketing is NOT the idea of princesses that I plan to pass on to my daughters. I plan to pass on the Princessness of Esther, Abigail, Hannah, Deborah, and the Marys. And the Princessness of Irene, Sara, Amy (Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne), Luthien, and Arwen.

Oh yes, I remembered #3! A princess ALWAYS marries a prince. I know I did. :) And if we have a son we will raise him to be a strong, dragon-slaying, adventurous, noble man who will one day win the hand of a Real Princess who will share in his adventures.

So let's all stay in the castle, wear our crowns with grace, and live as the daughters that we are...The daughters of The King of the Universe.