- February 7, 2025
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When I was little, my grandmother would make me and my sister the most amazing dresses. The skirts billowed out with tulle, the sleeves were puffed and the fabric glittered as if by magic. They made me feel like, well, a princess.
Sometimes I did pretend to be a princess when I'd play with my friends from the neighborhood. Other times I would wear one of the dresses just because I liked it and wanted that to be my outfit for the day. Being young seemed to mean life ran on a day-to-day basis, the worries of tomorrow a foreign concept.
Eventually, however, I outgrew the dresses. They were pushed to the back of the closet and replaced by different outfits. One day the dresses disappeared completely and life went forward.
I hadn't thought much of those dresses and the fun they brought until I went to this year's Family Days. This was my first time at the Port Orange event and, as usual, I was looking forward to getting photos of something new. After pulling into a parking spot I grabbed my camera and headed to the Lakeside Community Center where a large group of people had gathered.
There were mainly families, many with young children. Some of the children had dressed up for the Family Days tea party. A few little girls had donned yellow Belle costumes while others had colorful tutus or sparkly headbands that were added to their outfits.
They sat around tables waiting for Belle and the Beast to come out. Of course, I knew Belle and her transformed prince were actors but here it didn't matter. At one point one little girl looked up at me and asked, "where's Belle?"
"I'm sure she'll be here soon," I said, trying to sound encouraging.
A split second later, that same little girl, dressed in her own sparkly Belle dress let out an excited, "Belle!"
And there was Belle and the Beast, dressed in costumes from the ball. I heard a few more excited exclamations about the new arrivals and watched as several children hurried over to give the princess and prince hugs. Nothing else mattered at that moment.
For a few seconds even I forgot that I was there for work. It was hard not to smile a little at the excitement, the in-the-moment joy of being young and living in the now. At the tea party, life was interrupted by fairy tale characters and that was OK.
Once Belle and her prince had arrived I took that as my cue to go. Besides, they'd be showing the Beauty and the Beast movie soon and I had photos to download.
Pause.
Did I have to do all of that now? Maybe it could wait a few minutes. Maybe I should take a cue from the tea party attendees and not think about tomorrow.
Besides, it was a warm evening in Central Florida and I'd be crazy not to soak in even a little of it.
I slung my camera over my shoulder, looked back at all the happy faces and took a walk. Because I may not be that 6-year-old anymore but I could still take a moment and just be in the present. No princess dress required.
