For as long as I can remember, Cinderella has been my favorite movie. Beginning even before I uttered my first words, my parents would play the movie three or four times a day for me. According to the home videos, laughing and bopping my head along with Cinderella was all that would calm me down as an infant. Moving into my teenage years, I sought comfort in the movie when I was upset, overwhelmed, or even sometimes when I just needed something to keep on in the background. Cinderella was always my go-to. Years of watching and rewatching the lessons instilled in Cinderella’s story played a key role in my emotional development. My biggest overall takeaway from the film is the significance of kindness involved in Cinderella’s choices. Her character values kindness and bravery in a situation where one could be forced into misery. Cinderella does not let the weight of her life affect the way she treats others. Resulting from my love of the movie, I have adopted the values of Cinderella and try to practice them every day.
When I was in sixth grade, I was bullied. It didn’t start or end in sixth grade, but it was the worst. As an adolescent, I was not exactly what you would call skinny. I have struggled with my weight since I was just seven years old. In elementary and middle school, kids were ruthless. I was just 10 the first time I was shamed for being bigger than other girls. Not only was I heavy, but I also went through puberty much earlier than everyone. I developed depression at a very young age that followed me into high school. It felt like a burden just to get up and speak to people. My struggle with my own confidence felt never-ending.
It became too common for me to watch Cinderella through teary eyes and tissue blowing just to remind myself that in difficult times it’s important to remain strong and be nice. During these painful years, I found myself compensating for my own sadness by trying to make others feel good. I attempted to compliment at least five people a day. The feeling of making someone else smile was enough to help for a little. It became therapeutic to be kind. When I got to high school, I volunteered to help with my competitive cheerleading gym’s special needs team. I worked with kids ranging from three to 18 years old with disabilities like down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy. It is unimaginable how much joy those children brought to me. Every week for three hours I was blessed with the opportunity to make dreams come true. Kids who never thought they would be able to play a sport or be on a team because of the way they were born were given the chance to cheer together for an internationally ranked gym. I will always be thankful for the years I was able to spend with all of the athletes on that team. I discovered the nicer I was to others and the more helpful I was, the better I treated myself. I stopped focusing on my physical weight and instead centered myself on improving my attitude.
While it has taken me a long time to shake the terrible feelings I had once as a child, through kindness to others and to myself, I am able to be the person I am today. Cinderella will never just be a movie for children to me and the bonds I formed with the participants on that cheer team will always be cherished memories. I try to live every day with the idea in mind that my happiness is up to me and my attitude towards others will always play a role. Kindness and courage are two values that have never wavered within me. I believe that if you are unkind to those around you, you are more likely to be unkind to yourself.