Poor Cinderella?

Boo Boo's been watching and reading about Cinderella (especially our favorite adaptation, Adelita, from Tomie de Paola) and quoting the lines from the story. "Poor Cinderella," he'll say. "She had to work all day, and was treated like a servant."

Her labors included cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, tending to family members ... how horrible, huh? Could it get any worse?! ;-) Sounds a lot like what I -- and all other adults -- do every day.

Did Cinderella really have it so bad? Do you think it's possible that all those chores may have helped her grow in character, in virtue, in loving service to others? Perhaps scrubbing floors on her hands and knees may have made her a better person in the long run: more empathetic to others, more convinced of the dignity of every human person, more appreciative when she got to move into the big, fancy castle.

Great rewards can be ours if we stick through the drudgery that can be our everyday lives, and keep our eyes on the ultimate end: heaven. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can help us see the most ordinary things as something beautiful -- like a fairy godmother. And our Prince Charming? It's Jesus, of course: the bridegroom of our soul.