(A “hook” in music is meant to catch the listener’s ear. The Hook around here is whatever I come across in the cyber universe that catches my ear and eye.)
The Fairy Tale Struggles: An interesting article from NPR. But I’m more interested in this comment left by a reader: “I’m a 24-year-old girl, and while I grew up on all the Disney fairy tales with Prince Charming being the hero at the end of each story, the society we live in today is constantly bombarded with negative media and an overwhelming divorce rate. How easy is it to believe in fairy tales and the idea of living ‘happily ever after’ when these problems are so prevalent? I could be way off and it might just be a natural feeling to have after growing up, and maybe this occurs with every generation. But it might be interesting to delve deeper into the subject. Does anyone believe in ‘happily ever after’ anymore? regardless of age?”
I’ve had this discussion with my friend Jana. It was a while ago, so I can’t remember the particulars, but I do recall that we agreed that Disney had a hand in creating the generation of young women we found ourselves in. We “want much more than this provincial life” and that is a slippery hope. 
(Jana, what on earth were we talking about? You’re such a fun person to have a rousing conversation with.)
When Disney does sequels, well, they’re not usually sequels- they’re prequels. See, Disney can’t do a real sequel because who wants to see Cinderella back to mopping the floor as a wife? A couple of sequels do come to mind, now that I’m thinking about it. There is one about Cinderella and her life in the palace after her marriage and the Prince is out of town for the whole thing, if I’m not mistaken. So that’s not real life. And there is a sequel about Ariel and Eric, but it follows their daughter, and would you believe she is a human who wants to be a mermaid?!
We’re not satisfied. We never will be if we’re chasing after the fairy tale ending. It doesn’t end the day you find your prince or the day you get married. No, instead that is just the beginning.
I know I didn’t do a very good job of preparing for life after marriage, and there were times when it hit Chris and me so hard that we felt winded and hopeless for hours or days. We are blessed that we made it through days that we hope never come again. (Eight years next month!)
And now we feel that our most solemn duty as parents is raising Clara and Mercie to be prepared for marriage, if that is the life God gives them.
I still love a good fairy tale, but it helps to know the reality: If a girl is meant to marry, then she begins a new chapter in her life with the words “I do.” And I don’t see anything wrong with that fairy tale wedding, as long as she is putting as much thought and prayer and effort into preparing herself for the days after she weds. When all the toasts have been given and everyone has gone home and the dress is hung up in the closet- there are just two people in this thing from here on out.
A good resource for younger women: Joyfully at Home by Jasmine Baucham
A good resource for younger to older women: Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
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Yay, I’m excited to get into “Lies Women Believe!” Our women’s Bible study group that my friends and I are doing is starting that study in February
Hi Steph!
Miss you guys!
You will love it! It really did a good job of convicting me in a lot of areas… I plan on picking it back up for another go-round within the next couple of months myself.