This year will be my 7th Halloween with a child. I have always loved Halloween because I love dressing up.
Here is her first Halloween costume. I was going for irony here–playing against type.
Two years later, in 2008, I dressed her as emo/goth girl. Again, playing against type. Right down to the dear drop on her smiling face. The funny thing is all the parents thought it was adorable, even at church. If she was 10 years older they’d be asking me if she was okay.
The next year she was already asking to be a princess. How did she know about them so early? I never showed her a single princess movie. I wasn’t ready to let go of creative control yet, so I convinced her suggestible mind to be Bjork. When she asked who Bjork was I told her she was a swan princess. That worked for Phoebe and most of the people who saw her also thought she was a swan princess. The 15% of people that knew who Bjork was and remembered her swan dress from the Oscars in 2001 thought it was rad. That’s really what having a cute little kid is all about on Halloween–showing them off–and maybe showing off as a parent a little too.
However, I knew that soon enough I would have no say in her Halloween costume (or anything she wears for that matter) and I’d have to get used to the idea of her being a princess. And sure enough, for the last 2 years she has been a princess. This year she wants to be a princess again.
I have humored this, but I haven’t helped a ton. This year, I didn’t plan to be of much help with her costume, either. However, that all changed last week. On Saturday I watched Princess Diaries 2 with my daughter. Her choice. Someone gave us this movie and I have not seen part 1. But it doesn’t seem to matter. It still gets me every time. And every time I am surprised by this.
Despite all my groaning and eye rolling at princess stuff, there is something in me that deeply resonates with a good princess story. Not just the silly romance, but also the carriages and guardsmen and adoring public who are helped and served by her. I even dig the velvet crown and scepter.
At the end of the movie, when Princess Mia was finally crowned Queen and all the guardsman draw their swords and all the people cheer, I realized that the feelings I was having were not longing, but memory. This is my birthright. As a daughter of God I come from royal lineage. I have the potential to be a queen and a priestess. In one emotional moment I wholeheartedly embraced everything princess.
Perhaps all this princess idolizing is not so bad, if we teach our daughters and sons what it is really about. So this year, I have decided to help my girl make an awesome princess dress. And if I can pull it off in time, I am going to be the most amazing queen you’ve ever seen. Maybe Rocky will dress like my rad old rock star King. But even if he doesn’t, I am so glad I married someone with whom I can rule and reign in the house of Israel forever.
What a great perspective! I’ve always been a bit anti-princess, but I love the idea of teaching my daughter this (I know it is impossible to avoid princesses)! Thank you for sharing 🙂