To the Fairest of them All,

Many people believe that princesses teach girls to be submissive, that if a young girl looks up to you all she is going to want out of life is a man to take care of her and a kitchen to bake in. I'm here to tell those people they are wrong. In the 19 years and 11 months I have been on this planet the strongest lessons I've learned came from each of your unique stories.

Kindness is key.

Despite being orphaned into the rudest family imaginable, Cinderella shows kindness to everyone (people and animal) in her life no matter if they were royalty or a wicked cat. She is the epitome of the Golden Rule: treat people the way you want to be treated. This is a motto that when followed creates a person who respects the fast food worker just as much as a Wall Street CEO. We need more people like this in the world. Thank you Cinderella, for showing children everyone deserves kindness, no matter how unkind they are.

Family will do anything for each other.

Mulan risks her life to defend her family's honor. As the OG Katniss, she goes to war in place of her father, who would not be able to survive in a battle. Rather than allow her family to lose everything, she knows that sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the ones you love; whether it was leaving her family to join the army or exposing her secret identity to save Shang, Mulan never took the easy way out, always doing what was best for the people she cares most about, in return her family loves her for the strong willed fighter she is- despite what society wants her to be.

The world is as sunshine filled as you make it.

Rapunzel never experienced the outside world until her 18th birthday. She had no reason to love life as much as she did, her typical day involved painting, reading, cleaning and brushing her hair. While painting and reading all day sounds incredible, there are only so many books in the world and very little inspiration to find if one cannot leave her room. Yet Rapunzel functions on a level optimism most only experience Christmas morning. The vivaciousness that Rapunzel tackles life with gives her a fresh form of confidence that I want to incorporate into my everyday life. When Flynn Rider breaks into her tower she demands that he helps her escape, if Rapunzel is innovative enough to turn a potentially life threatening situation around in her favor, I can be excited about going to work Mondays at 6 am. Hopefully.

You decide what is best for you, no one else.

Jasmine was one of the first examples I had of someone who knew how to stand up for herself. She did not let her father, crush or evil uncle tell her how to live her life, she knew what she wanted and she did it. Rajah, her pet tiger, was the only consultant when making decisions. It isn't easy to stand up to others, especially a family member, but Jasmine was one of the earliest feminist role models for young girls. Most people do not need to argue against an arranged marriage, but the same skills Jasmine uses to argue with the Sultan about gender and monetary inequality can be applied to children who need to stand up to bullies. Thank you Jasmine, for teaching people that their opinions have a right to be taken seriously.

It is OK to say no.

Many young girls are taught that if a boy likes you then you should like him back. Belle does not support that lifestyle. It took me a long time to understand why Belle will not go out with Gaston at the beginning of the movie, sure he is obnoxious but he everyone loves him and he wants her, why is she saying no? Belle demands a higher quality of person from Gaston and the Beast. It isn't until she sees that depth of a soul from the Beast that she finally agrees to give him a chance, and that is perfectly acceptable. If Belle wanted to say no throughout the entire film that would have been acceptable as well. Belle is a person and she deserves to have her opinion respected. Thank you Belle, for allowing girls to realize they have self-worth outside of the man they are with.

Forgive yourself and others.

Many Disney movies portray the mother as deceased or as Evil, which makes Merida's relationship with her mother stand out even more than it originally would. Merida accidentally turns her mother into a bear-its casual, no big deal- a normal experience for a Scottish princess, really. Anyway, Merida's mother forgives her even when she believes that she will be stuck as a bear forever. Having her mother's forgiveness is an important part of Merida learning to forgive herself. As a strong-willed teenager many of Merida's decisions are fueled by a desire to prove herself to the kingdom as someone who does not need anyone's help. Accepting the mistake she made, and learning how to amend it was a huge part of Merida's character development. Everyone benefits from not being so hard on themselves.

Love comes in all shapes and sizes.

A key component of Disney Princess movies is the happily ever after. Throughout the princess's tales they often find a prince and while the love of a significant other is magical, it is not the only form of love princesses value. The friendship of Ariel and Flounder is one that continually breaks my heart with how precious it is; they would be lost without each other. As an older sister I have an extra appreciation for seeing Elsa and Anna take care of each other, however the greatest love each of the princesses have is for themselves. Even in the moments when a princess may doubt herself she comes back from it stronger and more confident than before. Every princess teaches us how to be a better version of ourself in their own way, but all of them show us the best thing we can do is love and embrace what makes us stand out.

Thank you Disney Princesses for giving me the hope of being a princess; it has fueled many a daydream for as long as I can remember. If it wasn't for the confidence each of you carried in yourself I wouldn't have the confidence to actually think I could be a princess. All of your stories have inspired me to live with kindness, happiness and forgiveness in my heart, accept nothing less than what I deserve and keep the ones I love close. Most importantly, your stories have taught me,and many other young girls that anyone and everyone can be a princess.

Sincerely,

The princesses Disney has inspired