To The Disney Princesses:

First of all, thank you. I’ve known you practically my entire life and without realizing it, I’ve looked up to you. You were a little girl’s heroes. Not because you slayed the giants or rescued anyone, but because you embodied the intangible qualities that create a beautiful woman. The older I got, the more I realized why I was always so drawn to you. It wasn’t because you were out there beating up thugs or always saving the day (which would have been awesome, if you had). It was because you were all so strong. You each taught me a lesson about the characteristics every woman — and every person, for that matter — should strive to have to make this world a better place.

Snow White, you showed me how to be humble. No matter what, you served with a happy heart and cared. It didn’t matter to you that you were the princess, not to mention the fairest in the land, you gave with everything you had and never felt sorry for yourself. You very happily served others without a complaint.

Cinderella, you taught me how to be kind. Although you were treated cruelly and constantly humiliated, you were nothing but kind to your tormentors. You never lowered yourself to their level. Even to animals you offered love and generosity. Even though your step-family didn’t deserve it, you treated them with every ounce of kindness that you possessed.

Aurora, you taught me to believe in love. Though you were lonely and had no way of knowing your prince was right around the corner, you still believed that he was out there. You let yourself believe in your dreams and do possibly the scariest thing a person can do: hope.

Ariel, you taught me to be determined. Despite being forbidden from seeing the human world, you continued to go to it. When you fell in love, you let nothing stop you — not even living without a voice — from getting what you want. You overcame obstacle after obstacle so that you could find your happiness.

Belle, you showed me it was OK to be unique. Even when the townspeople were ostracizing you because you were different, you were unbothered. You embraced the parts of you that you apart from everyone else and never gave them up. You proudly stood out from the crowd and refused to conform to seem normal.

Jasmine, you taught me not to settle. When suitor after suitor came offering riches and gifts, you turned them down without a second thought because you wanted love, not presents. You knew what you were worthy of and refused to let anyone tell you otherwise. You waited patiently for real love and accepted only someone who embraced who she was and saw her worth.

Pocahontas, you showed me how to be respectful. Although strange men came to your land, you did not cower in fear or hate. You got to know them and learned about their world, even though it was different from yours. Despite your differences and opposite opinions, you offered them love and respect regardless.

Mulan, you taught me to be courageous and selfless. When you sensed your father’s life was in danger, you immediately took up his place in the army even though you could be discovered as a woman and killed. You fought for others and placed yourself in danger so that you might protect them from harm. You never thought about yourself and fought without fear.

Tiana, you showed me how to be hard-working. You were never handed anything in your life; you earned what you had by your hard work without complaint. Relying on dreams to just come true on their own was something you would never do. Not once were you afraid to roll up your sleeves and work so that you could achieve your dreams.

Rapunzel, you taught me to dream. Though you lived in a tower your whole life, you still wanted to venture out into the unfamiliar world and see the lanterns fly. You did what you could to make your dream come true. Your dream guided your path and you never let it die. When that dream was fulfilled, you found a new dream to pursue.

Merida, you taught me to be brave. You fearlessly climbed mountains and faced strange creatures. Perhaps your greatest show of bravery was when you fought the long-standing tradition of choosing a husband from a group of men you had never met. And then again, when you realized you were at fault, you admitted it and bravely accepted responsibility for it.

Anna, you taught me to see and believe the best in others. You saw a goodness in others — especially your sister — that they themselves could not see. Even Hans, you believed his word and trusted that he was good. You never let anyone stop you from looking for the goodness that you believed lie inside all.

Elsa, you showed me how to be independent. You were forcibly set apart from others due to your gift, so you learned to rely on yourself. You were strong and took care of yourself. You didn’t need any man to come and rescue you — you were your own hero. When help finally came, you accepted it, knowing that accepting help doesn’t mean weakness, it means strength.

All of you, in your various ways, showed me that being a beautiful woman isn’t necessarily about always saving the day. Rather, a beautiful woman is humble, kind, determined, unique, respectful, courageous, selfless, hard-working, brave and independent, and believes in love, does not settle, dreams and sees and believes the best in others. Thank you for showing me the importance of being the woman inside that I want others to see reflected in my actions. Whether that means I let others do the rescuing or I’m the one who does the saving, you taught me that I can be an example for other girls. You taught me to strive to be the best person I can be. Thank you.