Women's Forum

My Cinderella story started when I was a child.  The plot of my fairy tale was quite similar to the real one. My mother died when I was a little girl and I´ve been on my own since then. After a while, my father met the love of his life and married her, which made her my stepmother. Right after their wedding she moved to our place and established her rules.  After long years of living in fear and being disparaged I escaped.

My story is a sad one, but without it, I wouldn’t have been where I am today – an ambitious woman with a heart filled with passion and belief that everything is possible and we are the creators of our own destiny. I am a sophomore in college majoring in the field of Business Administration and Journalism and I am involved in a student organization that makes an impact on society. I have many of friends and I feel happy every day. The hardships and challenges of my younger years helped me get where I am now and make the most of my dreams. We can all change our difficulties in life to an advantage and learn from our mistakes. The sooner we learn the lessons of life the better.

Fairy tales are not just for children. Each of us can draw something from them. They become either a form of lesson or a reflection of our lives. Whether it is the plot, the characters or the setting – you decide. The main characters in my story were just like those in Cinderella, but the setting was quite different – more true to life. There was Anna – the protagonist, being exposed to the realities of the world at an early age; the Stepmother – the antagonist, a vicious, angry woman who only cared about herself and her husband; the Everyday Chores – all the jobs Anna had to do by the time the Stepmother returned from work; and of course Prince Charming – the man who rescued me and the experience that I gained from my troubled years.

In school I had older friends because I did not feel sufficiently understood by my peers. Under their influence, I was exposed to the atmosphere of relationships, sex, cigarettes, alcohol, and clubs. I was sneaking out for sleepovers at a friend’s but ending up in night clubs. In that crowd I had to act like a grown up. I witnessed many situations of indecency and cruelty and took my own lessons from it.

My father had a very strict policy of good grades at school. “If you don’t study, you will end up sweeping the streets,” he told me one day. I did my best because I wanted to achieve something. As an ambitious girl, I had a strong desire to find extra money to buy myself all those things that other girls had and which I couldn’t afford. So I started working in various jobs during the summer. I learned the value of money, the importance of relationships with co-workers, responsibility and respect. Working from 9 a.m. till 11 p.m. was hard, not only physically, but emotionally as well. But I had to do it because I needed to be independent and support myself without being constrained by someone’s rules.

My stepmother had a huge influence on me. Thanks to her I know how to defend myself, how to stand against the evils of injustice, how to protect my beliefs and opinions. She was not there for me when I needed advice or a guiding hand. I had to seek knowledge about many things in other places. I read books, listened to friends, talked to teachers. I searched for love constantly. It did not come from my father or my relatives. When I cried, I cried to myself. When I made decisions, they were mine and mine alone. Often strangers offered support. My girlfriends and their mothers helped a lot. I also found emotional shelter with some of my teachers. All these different women touched my life and helped to overcome many of difficulties.

Today I am 21 and I have some experience. I do not regret going through it all. The past helps me deal with the present and build the future. It gives me the power I need to seek new challenges and the strength to hold my tears and support those who cry. I will not make the same mistakes again. There is no backup for me and this gives me the motivation to achieve more and strive for success. The weight of my personal baggage defines the difficulty level of my future. I am not afraid. The challenges ahead are lessons that I must learn to succeed. The hard experiences are those that will be valuable for in the future.

I think the hardest thing for every woman out there is to realize that she is alone in this world full of hope. It is essential for women to feel loved and cared for. Men need to feel powerful and respected, women need to feel loved and appreciated. This love can come from any direction: our families, boyfriends, husbands or friends. Of course, the love of your boyfriend is not the same as the love of your family; they cannot be placed on the same scale. But if there is not enough from one source, we turn to another. I have a boyfriend who loves me for who I am; with my weaknesses and flaws. I feel loved every day and this feeling is the most precious in the world. Knowing that he is there to protect me, support me and love me is the greatest thing. I overcame the feeling of loneliness by having a loving boyfriend and true friends.

Each fairy tale usually has a happy ending and punishes the evildoer. Unfortunately, these two events either don’t happen at all or at least not at the same time in real life. I found my happy ending in my story, although it can be only the beginning of something new, adventurous and exciting. I am equipped with my life experiences that give me the basis for my present and future behaviors, acts and thoughts. Life experiences are the treasures of our life. I do not regret them, I appreciate them. I live with them and nurture them. I study what I like, I have true friends and I am happy. I am sure of my future and I walk through life with my head held high. The Cinderella story is indeed a happy ending story.