Happily ever after?

Much of my free time lately has been spent reading, and most of those stories have been fairy tales. Stories filled with adventure, a quest, a curse to break or some other fight to win happiness and love.

I'm not the only one reading them. These stories have been around for generations. Something about them speaks to us, tells us something we want to hear. There is a part of all of us that wants to know that though life is hard, we will come through and win our heart's desire, whether it be fame, fortune or love.

Often people talk about someone having fairy tale life when by all appearances that person has it easy without a care in the world. But that's not really what the fairy tale is about. The easy life doesn't come so easily. First there has to be a struggle, a tragedy that shapes the character's life and forces them to work for what they want. That's a big part of why the stories are so appealing: They have to overcome a big hardship or test before their happy endings come.

I think much of why I like to read these stories is because I'm waiting for my happy ever after. I've been making my way through my trials, my lifelong quest for happiness, and sometimes I feel as though I've earned my happy ending when the struggles finally ceases and the girl finds her true love.

But still it doesn't come, and so I submerge myself in stories where I know that by the time I reach page 344, Beauty will have her Beast and Cinderella will win her Prince Charming. I live vicariously through them because my life is stuck at page 52 in the segue way "and several months passed while she waited . . ."

My life is coming close to a crossroads, though, or at least I hope it is. I want to move forward with the plot, make some discovery that will change the course of the story and introduce the hero, though he may still be in disguise.

Maybe I need to act more like Belle instead of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. Instead of waiting for my prince to come rescue me, I should be actively working to educate myself and be content with my surroundings. I always did like Belle the best.