(this was written for and published on the front page of www.goodnewsnetwork.org on Sat. 20/Dec/2008)“Will you help with the holiday party for the abused kids?” asked my lawyer girlfriend.
“Sure, what do you want me to do?” I replied.
“Oh, just be some fairytale character” she said and hung up.
I sat there staring at the phone wondering which character.
My girlfriend was on the board of an organization, in San Francisco, that dealt with child abuse and worked on prevention through parental education.
I grew up with loving parents and a secure home life, so of course I wanted to help. I sat about deciding what I would do. I’ve been a performer all of my life and had no problem with that part of her request. I just wanted to make sure I chose the right character.
At first I started thinking of holiday characters like Frosty and Rudolph but they weren’t really ‘fairytale characters’ . Then spent time on fairy tales and nursery rhymes. I wasn’t the Pinocchio or Little Mermaid type, more like the grandmother, than Little Red Riding Hood.
Then the perfect idea came twinkling in, as if by magic! Of course …Cinderella had been abused…maybe the kids would relate to The Fairy Godmother.
I was sure it was the perfect character, even though I didn’t really know what she would do at the party. I went to College of Marin, to the drama department’s costume lab. Everyone was delighted to help me turn into ‘The Fairy Godmother.’
That was fifteen years ago. I remember Fairy Godmother’s debut like it was yesterday…I arrived for the party in street clothes and went upstairs to change into my costume. My costume looked like Disney9 9s Fairy Godmother: not fancy but everything was the right color and she and I definitely have a resemblance. I put on my costume and went downstairs.
The center was packed to bursting with children and parents that really needed some holiday cheer. Amazingly the children immediately knew who I was. I sat down on the floor and a little boy crawled on my lap, as I heard one of the center’s workers expressing surprise and telling someone that normally he didn’t let anyone touch him. Then I felt a tug on my cape and turned to a little girl whose eyes were as big as Christmas.
She beamed at me and said “I’ve seen your movie.”
I quickly stashed my fairy wand realizing, to the children, I was Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother…not just someone in a costume.
That first year, like all of them since, was pure magic. I thought I was there to give some cheer to kids, who had nothing. Little did I know I was there to receive the greatest gift. God gave me the pure gift of children’s love. You see children know Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother and they love her unconditionally, she is safe.
That first year it was hard to hold back the tears when I saw a little boy with a black eye. I realized some of these children were there because their parents were substance abusers, like you would suspect, but others were children of children who themselves had been abused. I had a young girl, who wasn’t old enough to be out of middle school, with a tiny baby on her hip ask if it was ok for her to visit Santa. I’m better at holding back the tears now but my heart still cries. Yet, still they have the magic to make me laugh and smile as they share their childhood wonder.
The party is all encompassing, like the love of Christmas. During the party I give lots of hugs, sing Bibadibobadido many, many times along with lots of Christmas Carols. I visit Santa, play dreidal, go to the Kwanza room and face paint with the fairies.
Abuse happens across all social stratums, cultures and ethnicities. It is a repetitive generational cycle that can be broken, that must be broken.
Recently, out of the blue, I received a phone call from a woman wanting to know if I had created my name.
“No,” I told her, “I had a very creative mother.”
She then told me she had been to my website and wanted to know about “that Fairy Godmother stuff.” I told her my story. Then she said:
“I am so pleased to meet you, you are truly a realized person.”
Confused I asked “why.”
“Well, when you analyze the fairy tale, The Fairy Godmother is Cinderella’s higher self, because the answers to our problems are within.” she said.
“Okay” I wondered.
“You realize about the meaning of your name?” she asked.
“No, my name is an original, It’s not in books.” I stated.
“Well, Cinderella was a charwoman right?” she stated.
“Yes” I agreed.
“Char just like the first part of your name and the last part of your name ‘elle’ means girl,” said the voice on the phone, “You are Cinderella’s higher self, magic.”
Stunned, all my life I had wanted my name to mean something, the glow of gratitude flowed through me as I thanked her.
The magic of Christmas had begun …I had just pulled Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother’s garment bag from the back of the closet!
copyright 2008 Charselle
http://www.charselle.com/
charselle@aol.com
“Sure, what do you want me to do?” I replied.
“Oh, just be some fairytale character” she said and hung up.
I sat there staring at the phone wondering which character.
My girlfriend was on the board of an organization, in San Francisco, that dealt with child abuse and worked on prevention through parental education.
I grew up with loving parents and a secure home life, so of course I wanted to help. I sat about deciding what I would do. I’ve been a performer all of my life and had no problem with that part of her request. I just wanted to make sure I chose the right character.
At first I started thinking of holiday characters like Frosty and Rudolph but they weren’t really ‘fairytale characters’ . Then spent time on fairy tales and nursery rhymes. I wasn’t the Pinocchio or Little Mermaid type, more like the grandmother, than Little Red Riding Hood.
Then the perfect idea came twinkling in, as if by magic! Of course …Cinderella had been abused…maybe the kids would relate to The Fairy Godmother.
I was sure it was the perfect character, even though I didn’t really know what she would do at the party. I went to College of Marin, to the drama department’s costume lab. Everyone was delighted to help me turn into ‘The Fairy Godmother.’
That was fifteen years ago. I remember Fairy Godmother’s debut like it was yesterday…I arrived for the party in street clothes and went upstairs to change into my costume. My costume looked like Disney9 9s Fairy Godmother: not fancy but everything was the right color and she and I definitely have a resemblance. I put on my costume and went downstairs.
The center was packed to bursting with children and parents that really needed some holiday cheer. Amazingly the children immediately knew who I was. I sat down on the floor and a little boy crawled on my lap, as I heard one of the center’s workers expressing surprise and telling someone that normally he didn’t let anyone touch him. Then I felt a tug on my cape and turned to a little girl whose eyes were as big as Christmas.
She beamed at me and said “I’ve seen your movie.”
I quickly stashed my fairy wand realizing, to the children, I was Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother…not just someone in a costume.
That first year, like all of them since, was pure magic. I thought I was there to give some cheer to kids, who had nothing. Little did I know I was there to receive the greatest gift. God gave me the pure gift of children’s love. You see children know Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother and they love her unconditionally, she is safe.
That first year it was hard to hold back the tears when I saw a little boy with a black eye. I realized some of these children were there because their parents were substance abusers, like you would suspect, but others were children of children who themselves had been abused. I had a young girl, who wasn’t old enough to be out of middle school, with a tiny baby on her hip ask if it was ok for her to visit Santa. I’m better at holding back the tears now but my heart still cries. Yet, still they have the magic to make me laugh and smile as they share their childhood wonder.
The party is all encompassing, like the love of Christmas. During the party I give lots of hugs, sing Bibadibobadido many, many times along with lots of Christmas Carols. I visit Santa, play dreidal, go to the Kwanza room and face paint with the fairies.
Abuse happens across all social stratums, cultures and ethnicities. It is a repetitive generational cycle that can be broken, that must be broken.
Recently, out of the blue, I received a phone call from a woman wanting to know if I had created my name.
“No,” I told her, “I had a very creative mother.”
She then told me she had been to my website and wanted to know about “that Fairy Godmother stuff.” I told her my story. Then she said:
“I am so pleased to meet you, you are truly a realized person.”
Confused I asked “why.”
“Well, when you analyze the fairy tale, The Fairy Godmother is Cinderella’s higher self, because the answers to our problems are within.” she said.
“Okay” I wondered.
“You realize about the meaning of your name?” she asked.
“No, my name is an original, It’s not in books.” I stated.
“Well, Cinderella was a charwoman right?” she stated.
“Yes” I agreed.
“Char just like the first part of your name and the last part of your name ‘elle’ means girl,” said the voice on the phone, “You are Cinderella’s higher self, magic.”
Stunned, all my life I had wanted my name to mean something, the glow of gratitude flowed through me as I thanked her.
The magic of Christmas had begun …I had just pulled Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother’s garment bag from the back of the closet!
copyright 2008 Charselle
http://www.charselle.com/
charselle@aol.com
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