In an effort at equality, I agreed to take my niece Uma to the Disney Princesses on Ice show since I was going to take my nephew Sachin to a hockey game. I'm not sure where the gender stereotypes started, when Uma started a vanity case for her hair things, or when Sachin stopped giving his Auntie hugs and only wanted to do "boy things."
As I picked up Uma, I felt woefully un feminine. She was dressed in a lovely velvet topped tulle and silk dress; she had tights, a pink purse and ballet shoes on. I had on gym shoes, track suit bottoms and a sweatshirt; what would it matter I thought; little did I know.....
Every little girl at the show was dressed in tulle and lace and silk; moreover, my niece's face fell as she realized she left her tiara at home. With promises to make it up to her, I bought an Ariel light thingie, looked at every necklace available and settled on a princess book and pink rose.
I was so proud of how well behaved she was and I finally understood what it means when you have so much joy you think your heart will burst; seeing her face light up and her smiles gave me that incredible joy.
One question though, how the hell did she know about Prince Eric and why did every princess have a prince? Is this how we are subtly trained to believe that unless we receive "true love's kiss" or are "rescued" or "meet the one born for us" we are incomplete?
I hope fervently that Uma meets her prince and true love; but if she doesn't at the time and the way she hopes, I hope she knows its not because she didn't have a tiara; she is and always will be a perfect princess; a lady with dignity, strength, dreams, belief in herself and an unwillingness to settle for less than the best; an incredible woman who expects that she be treated with respect, genuine love and kindness.
