Cinderella

Today I had a few extra minutes before my friends arrived for the evening. I could hear the kids in the playground outside playing and so I grabbed a skipping rope and headed out for some fun. I ended up ditching the skipping rope and let the kids fight it out who was going to turn the rope and skip first and I wandered over to the swing set where I pushed the younger kids on the swings. I was talking and laughing with a little girl who is one of our little 'regulars' in the park and she was trying to touch my hand as she got higher and higher on the swing. She had finshed swinging and asked me "Do you know what my name is?" I answered her full well knowing her name. She shook her head and said "No, here I'll tell you." I bent down for this magical secret, expecting her to give me some made up goofy name. Other kids tried to listen in but this was top secret and she promptly got a little upset with them. She looked at me this excited look and a glimmer in her eyes and said "Cinderella". She said it like it was the most enchanting secret ever. I wasn't expecting that at all. I laughed at the beauty of this little girl who if only for that second really felt like she was Cinderella.

It's later now and my friends have gone home. My evenings been one of hanging out and visiting with friends. But as I sit and ponder the day I think of that little girl and the secret that she was Cinderella. There's a weird sort of truth to her little game. Wishing she was someone else; someone magical; someone like Cinderella. In a land where mice sew pretty dresses and a pumkin turns to a magical carriage. It's fun to play that game. To know who you are but to dream about who you would like to be. To dream about something magical happening. I think the point I'm trying to make is sometimes I wish I was Cinderella too.