by Kristin Lee

Created on: July 13, 2009

Does happily ever after exist? We are conditioned starting when we are young children to believe that it does. Cinderella, Snow White, The Little Mermaid and their happily ever after stories are well known and loved in childrens hearts. Though the reality of it is that some times life throws us tragically hard curve balls that rock the very foundations of our happiness. Life, after all, is filled with peaks and valleys; highs and lows. It would be dreadfully dull if we lived in Pleasant-ville where nothing ever happened and everything always stayed the same. I'm not saying that I look forward to life's hard time because I certainly don't. But I take them as an opportunity to learn and reassess what happiness means to me and what I want in life.

Think back to when you were five years old. Your definition of happiness then was probably intertwined with a new shiny toy or affection from your parents. When you were a teenager your definition of happiness probably revolved around the anticipation of getting your drivers licence or going out on a first date. In your 20's happiness is typically gained with the sense of freedom that comes from finding you first apartment, first job, first true love. Happiness by definition progresses with life. It is constantly changing and constantly moving, just like you.

Happily ever after definitely exists. But to think that happilyever after will always mean the same thing or that it is perfect, untarnished, or magic is a set up for disappointment. Happiness itself can remainconstant, just look at a perpetual optimist, the glass is always half full. But the vehicle that produces that happiness changes and grows along with you. The romanticized happily ever after is a beautiful fairy tale. But It doesn't exist. The rest of the story, the part we were never told... well, even Cinderella will have bad days with her Prince Charming. That is reality, the peaks and valleys of life. Even Snow White will deal with sadness and loss; again that isthe reality, the peaks and valleys of life. Just ask the girl who had to kiss a bunch of frogs before she found her true love. I'm sure kissing all those frogs did not make her happy.

But a life filled with happiness and ease of transition,learning,growth, love, excitement, that kind of happily ever after is at every ones fingertips. If we cast aside the prerecorded fairy tales and realize that we have the ability to write our own happily ever after then a happy ending does indeed exist.

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