Is Happy Ending A Never?

I have been thinking these days, about all the bedtime stories that filled my childhood. About Cinderella and her glass shoes, about Rapunzel and her amazing golden hair, about Hans and Gretel and how they luckily survive the evil witch... Even about Shrek, that recent crazy new folktale.

In all those stories, everything ended happily. Although the evil might once prevail, and there seems like there was no way out, someone somewhere made mistake or came with a brilliant idea, and someone other would save the day. And then there would be a happily ever after ending.

I'm not intending of destroying the happy faces of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Pinocchio, and the Prince Charming in your head, but... Let's think of it this way. To be honest with ourselves, these kind of "happy endings" does not happen in reality. The story writers just stop at the right moment, where everything seemed happy and right, and close the story.

Cinderella got married. One day they would have children. It would be possible that rebel would happen in their kingdom, someone there would try to take over their throne, and darkness prevails again. And how about Snow White's beauty? Wouldn't it fade one day, and her Prince Charming would stop loving her?

I want to reflect this on our real life. Fairy tales are good, but we must remember, in reality there are no such things. Maybe you would say, no, I don't read any more fairy tales... I'm a grown up! Girls, especially, please, please don't use this excuse. Your fairy tales are those cheap pink girly novels about cute rebel boys that submit themselves to a girl's charm... And boy's fairy tales are modern movies, modern 'role models' such as pop-musician, actors, and 'cool people' shown on TV.

As we realize what our fairy tales are, we must reflect into reality even more, and understand the importance of seeing life the way it must be seen. We have our happy and glorious moments, but don't see it as our happily ever after. Things will change, our earth and society are dynamic, and we have to be prepared for it. Happy moments, praise God, and in difficulties, seek Him even more.

A happily ever after is not a never. It is how we reflect to things that will show us its beauty, as a Chinese saying says. A beautiful painting will not be great in front of an art-hater. A delicious food won't bloom in a full belly's mouth. But with God, we always have a choice to see the beauty life shares. Because it is in Him that we would find our joy, our strength, and our recovery. It is in Him that we may have a hope for a happily ever after.

Be blessed!