From Beast to Prince Charming

I suppose my first childhood role model (apart from my mother) was Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She had it all - wit, energy, brown hair. I could be her! All it took was a yellow dress, earrings, and, of course, a prince. A handsome prince. Not a scary one like Beast. Or even the nice one he turned into (his long hair immediately turned me off to the idea). No. He would be perfect. Inspiring. Charming. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that such boys cannot be found on the playground. It was then that I began to believe that they couldn't be found anywhere. It was a hopeless case, and I lost interest very quickly.

What I failed to recognize, however, is that Beast wasn't charming at all! He was rude, messy, and probably smelled really bad. He was mean, selfish, inconsiderate - everything that would repel the ladies (did you say "ladies" with an accent? Oh... me neither...). What I find interesting, though, is that after time, he began to transform. He became kind, gentle, caring. Gradually, he morphed into a handsome(ish) prince not only in character, but in every other way possible. Strange. Princes take time to develop? That's a different thought.

Prince Charming is real. He is, in fact (prepare for predictable, yet truthful, corn), Jesus Christ. And the Prince Charming you will find on earth (with patience) is a reflection of Jesus Christ. He is loving, caring, encouraging. He will protect you, wait for you, and take care of you. His intentions are pure, his love is unconditional, and he has your best interests in mind. He will sacrifice himself to make you whole and pay any price to keep you in his arms. That is who a true prince is. Not a man who can deceive you with smooth words and obligatory acts of "love." No. That man wants to get in your pants. He's not a prince, but is a dirty, lying beast who has absolutely no intention of keeping you, taking care of you, or protecting you. Um... in light of that, I prefer to have my prince. He's a real one.

To the girls reading this, please please PLEASE be patient. Most princesses in the movies found their princes without looking for them. They didn't have to put on a show to get a prince's attention. They didn't have to post attention-getting photos on their facebook. These princes found them and loved them without needing to be impressed (kind of... most princess movies are full of infatuation. But that's beside the point). My point is that you don't need to look for your prince. More often than not, he'll find you. Who knows? He may be your best friend - the one who just needs that bit of time to transform. Be patient, and don't let yourself be deceived in the meantime. It would break his heart.