Is there such a thing as Happily Ever After?

The other day we had a family movie night. We were watching Enchanted. Have you seen it?! It is one of my VERY favorite Disney movies. The movie’s main character, Giselle, begins with her planning to marry the amazing Prince Edward. Unfortunately, the evil queen tricks her into making a wish into a well and Giselle gets pushed into the “REAL WORLD” of modern-day, congested, busy New York City! The girl who was once animated, living in a Fairy Tale world, then has to find her way around New York as she waits for her Prince Edward to come rescue her, now as a real person. Throughout her adventure, she begins to fall in love with a divorce lawyer who clearly doesn’t believe in happily ever after. Without spoiling the ending, you have to watch it to see what kind of love can make it in this real world.

My husband leaned over to me and said, “That girl is YOU!” {Speaking of Giselle} Everything is perfect and delightful in her world. She doesn’t get angry and sings her way through life. She is pretty naive and finds the good in every person. In her eyes, EVERYONE lives happily ever after.

I was talking to my friend the other day and she was saying how she found herself comparing her life to other people’s. Do you do that? I know I do! Do you have that friend or maybe even those friends on Facebook or Instagram that look like their life is flawless? They always look so perfect and beautiful! Their make-up is flawless, not a strand of hair is out of place and their outfit is always the most stylish and trendy. Their super skinny and rock their fit body. Their house seems to always look fresh and sparkly clean. Not a drawer is open and not a toy out of place. Their car has no fishy crackers smushed or apple juice spilt. Their family is perfect in your eyes, or as they seem to show it on Social Media. Their children are always dressed to the nines, their hair is always cute, their faces are never messy, dinner is always on the table, they do fun activities daily, go on exotic family vacations you can only dream of going on and seem to live the perfect, best “happily ever after life” possible.

I am here to tell you, that those things are fun, but they are not everything. Behind the picture of going to the zoo, those kids were probably running around like crazy and pretty hard to control. Behind the picture of the home cooked meal, there was a lot of work and preparation and probably a bit of stress. Behind the picture of the husband and wife kissing, they probably have had disagreements and hard times in their marriage. Behind the perfect children’s portraits, there was a messy face and dirty, unbrushed hair. I promise their lives aren’t perfect. So stop comparing. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “Sandwiched between their Once Upon A Time and Happily Ever After, they all had to experience great adversity.”

When Tyson said that I was Giselle, it really made me think. I may appear to be happy and joyful. I may not seem to get angry and I often times do sing my way through life. I am pretty naive and I do try to find the good in every person. In my eyes, EVERYONE does live happily ever after. He was right. I am Giselle. BUT something we may oversee, is that Giselle did not live a perfect life.

In fact, the other day I posted a picture of Laila on my Facebook page of us playing outside. I got a few comments like, “You are the best mom!” and “You are always doing fun things!” Let’s talk about the reality. Laila and I stayed in our pajamas almost all day that day. In fact, she was wearing a Turkey Thanksgiving onesie to be exact. Ummm.. it is APRIL people! Don’t judge me. Her hair was not done and her face was extremely messy. In fact, I had to put her in the bath before that picture was even taken, she was so dirty. What seemed to be the flawless picture of Laila and I spending the day outside – was only 20 minutes of our lives. Throughout the day, I am sure I had to deal with a few melt downs, cleaned the house 10 times as I followed her around emptying every drawer in sight and probably didn’t even get ready myself.

My message today is to stop comparing and start trying. Do what YOU can do. Do your VERY best at it. Don’t think because your friends are showering, getting ready, going to the gym, going out to lunch, all while taking their kids to the zoo and then the movies and somehow made dinner and are eating peacefully at their dinner table with their husband and four perfect children, that YOU have to do those things too. For heavens sakes – If I shower and Laila is alive by the time Tyson comes home from work, that is a great day!

Happily Ever After doesn’t mean that life is perfect. It means you might hit a bump, but you get over it. You might hit a fork in the road, but you decide which way to go. And no matter where you are or what you are doing – you know there is happiness waiting for you.

We each can have our own happily ever afters – BUT it takes work, love, patience, understanding, humility, selflessness, courage, strength, faith, hope and forgiveness. Whether you are spending your life with children, a husband, a friend or even all by yourself – your happily ever after is waiting for you. Happiness is just around the corner.

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