When I was seven I remember my dad telling me a bedtime story with my sisters. We shared a room at the time with two bunk beds. Ivy and I shared a bed, Ivy being a year older. And our two younger sisters shared one, Jenny who was 6 and Pepper who was 4. My mom was pregnant with her last child, William.
Anyway, this story was about a princess. The king and queen would suggest princes to her but she could not fall in love with them. It just wasn't meant to be. Finally, she was also frustrated with herself. Maybe she was wrong about the way love should feel. So she forced herself to love the next prince that walked into the castle. And she did. And they got married. But she didn't want to have children with this prince. The king and queen were so unhappy with her for this that they sent her away to the castle where all the disobedient princesses were sent. While she was there she finally did feel love. But it was for a girl. As a princess, this was unheard of. As much as she tried to stop herself, she just kept falling for this princess. And the princess loved her too. When they were finally released from the castle, they returned to see the king and queen. The princess told them that she loved this princess and she wanted to marry her. She wanted to have children with her. They told her it was impossible and outrageous and it would not be accepted. So the princesses were both kicked out of the castle with nowhere to go. But they weren't too upset. They still had each other and they didn't need the acceptance to prove their love for one another. Soon the kingdom found out what had happened to the daughter and they were outraged. The king and queen had no choice but to marry the two and they began to realize that the daughter really did love the princess. They adopted a baby boy together and raised him wonderfully. The princesses lived happily ever after together with their son.
To this day I can't forget that story. I think that's when I realized that I would be accepted for whatever I am in this family.
