Oui, Cendrillon aime le chocolat!

Please excuse me for this very long entry, but the story that it contains is just so very special, I could barely wait to share it with all of you after it happened today...

Her name was Fiona, and at just four years old, she has a serious and impeding heart-condition. When I got to work this morning, I did not even know Fiona existed. But when I checked in, I was told I was going to be Cinderella for this very special little girl today! I was thrilled, and a little nervous.

My knowledge of Fiona before our meeting was very limited. I knew only her name, her age, and that she had some type of heart condition. Whether or not it was curable, I still do not know. I was told that it was her dream to meet Cinderella, and that today I was being employed by the "Disney Make a Dream Foundation" as Cinderella to make her dream into a reality! What a pleasure and blessing for me!

All done up in my beautiful gown, I nervously went to meet the little princess. I was meeting her in the Disneyland Hotel, in a lovely room, usually reserved for VIP's, that overlooks the castle and park. Only when I was taken to this room was I told that Fiona did not know that she was about to meet Cinderella, and this whole set up was a total surprise for her, arranged by her family and the "Make a Dream" team! They would leave me in an enclosed side-room, and then bring Fiona and her family into the VIP room. While they were admiring the view and the castle, Cinderella would come out to greet them, to Fiona's utter surprise and (we hoped) joy! So off went the two French members of our "dream team" to find Fiona, leaving me alone with my thoughts and anticipation.

As I sat there, I realized just how special this meeting was for this little girl. It dawned on me that out of all the wishes she could have, she wished to meet Cinderella. And not only that, but now she actually was going to meet her, living, breathing, real Cinderella. And at four years old, she would probably remember this meeting for many years to come. I wondered what she would look like, what would be her countenance. What could I say to this little creature? I thought of as many French phrases about "Cendrillon" as I could; could I tell her about my prince? My dress? My mice friends? Could I ask if she liked Disneyland, had she met other princesses, how long would she be here? I sat there waiting and wondering...

All too soon, my French companions came back to get me saying "She's here!" and out came Cinderella. Fiona's mother looked delighted, and kept looking towards her daugher's face, anticipating her reaction to seeing Cinderella. Fiona had not yet noticed, as she was being shown the castle and the view of Disneyland on this rainy but happy day. I had just a quick moment to observe little Fiona...I actually didn't realize at first that this tiny creature in my co-workers arms was a four-year-old. At first I thought she was an infant! She was so small, she barely stood above my knee, and weighed next to nothing. Everything about her was petite and yet adorable, especially her round brown eyes, framed by her blonde bob and straight bangs.

I walked over to the family and greeted them with a pleasant "Bonjour!" "Qui est ca?" (Who is that?), my French host asked the little girl. "Cendrillon!" she whispered, almost in disbelief, as her eyes grew wide at the sight of her dearest yet previously unknown friend! They introduced me to the family: mother, father, and older brother, each one with a camera or video camera. They all beamed at me over Fiona, and I assured them that I was "enchante" at having the pleasure of meeting them! Fiona seemed slightly dazed, but as my co-worker put her down, she walked slowly over to me with outstretched arms for a "grand embrace" (a big hug). With her head on my shoulder and arms round my neck, she smiled shyly at her mother, content to just be with her "Cendrillon." Her family and the team gently asked her questions, "Are you excited to meet Cinderella? Do you like her?" And she just smiled and nodded, shy little thing that she was. I told her that she had on a beautiful princess dress, and what lovely shoes! And was she enjoying Disneyland?

The team leader suggested that we sit down, as Fiona was just a tiny thing and I'd been kneeling down the whole time. Would Fiona like to sit on Cinderella's lap? Yes indeed, and not only that! Fiona went to her stroller, picked up a well-loved copy of her favorite storybook, Disney's Cendrillon (yes, in French), and proceeded to bring it to me as I lifted her into my lap. "Cendrillon--mais oui, c'est moi!" (Cinderella--why yes, that's me!) I said as I opened the book. "Et regarde, mon petit chaussure!" (And look, my little shoe!) as we glanced over the inside cover.

By this point, I must say I felt just a pure joy, and also an awe. I felt blessed that God could use me to help make this little girl's life special today. And ever-grateful that I not only knew "my" story well, (after all, Cinderella has always been my favorite fairy tale), but also that I had lots of experience reading and acting out this story back home, with my little girl friends from church and my students at summer camp. And now I was reading, as Cinderella, my story, to a dear little girl who wanted nothing more than this! What a dream come true this must truly have been for her! I proceeded to read the whoe story, stumbling multiple times to be sure, but excusing myself with a "Pardonez-moi!" and a responsive giggle from the family and my team! I was especially confused by a phrase reading "Cinderella was delicious..." I thought, surely this is some other word that looks like the word "delicious" in French. After all, while I can speak the language fairly well, I've never read out loud for an audience in French, and didn't know half the words and animal noises that appeared in the book. I discovered laster that Cinderella truly was "delicious," because when the word is used to describe a person, it means they got all dressed up and looked lovely! And all that time I felt awful, as I assumed I must be saying something rather naughty...I did my best to make the appropriate voice influctions, to really tell the story, to interpose with personal anecdotes when I could..."Oh look, there is my handsome prince! I love him!" "Who is that lady there, with the magic wand?" (by the way, "wand" in French is "baguette"! I had to surpress a chuckle at that one!)

When we finished reading the story, Fiona's family asked me to sign the title page. I signed it "To Fiona, from Cinderella, with many kisses" and she loved it. She had drawn me a picture, and did I want to see it? Why of course! I opened up the precious little drawing, and asked her what it was. Flowers, she said. And what was her favorite color of flower? Red, and green. I liked those colors too, I told her. I pointed out her name, written on the bottom of the picture. "And there, a heart." She said! How sweet!! I almost had tears by this point, just at the thought that this little girl was giving me a heart, though her own heart was pained.

Fiona's "coeur" (heart), which she pointed out to me

This drawing will always be precious to me! The family proceeded to give me a large bag of M & M's, which I gladly and laughingly accepted. I asked, "What is this? Is this chocolate? Because I love chocolate!!" Fiona said that she wanted to take a promenade with Cinderella around the hotel, and as she was such a tiny and frail thing, I asked if I could hold her during our walk. That worked better anyway, because I couldn't hold her hand without having to bend down significantly. She was thrilled at the thought of being "carried in Cinderella's arms," as she said.

My cherished drawing and (now half-eaten) M & M's!

We went all around the inside of the hotel, looking in gift shop windows, and out the hotel windows at the castle. All the hotel employees beamed at us; they could see that this was a precious girl and a very special circumstance. Fiona's parents told her that Cinderella would be saying goodbye soon. She asked if Cinderella could please put on her jacket? Of course! I put on her jacket, and took her outside where we would say goodbye "just beyond the door." She did not want me to leave, though her parents, myself, and my co-workers tried to persuade her that I must go so that I could see her when I danced in the parade later today! Finally she said alright, but couldn't she visit me again after the parade? No, but she was going to play in Disneyland, and see many other wonderful things and people and friends! Finally it was time to say farewell, and as I waved goodbye and told her I would see her later in the parade, I watched the little angelic face gaze back with a shy wave, and as her family turned to go I said "thank you." No, thanks to you, affirmed her mother, and then they were off.

Going back to the costuming building, I was on cloud 9! Everyone asked "Wow Mary, did you have a good day or something?" I could not wait to share my joy with others around me! I had a memory that would last forever, and some chocolate that would not. I offered to do this again...everyday, I said, if the "dream team" needed it. My two co-workers laughed, saying they would have me anytime! They were still amazed...they had not realized that I spoke French until I entered the room to greet the family! Who knows what we would've done about reading the story, and walking round the hotel, and all the special things we talked about, had I not known French!!? I felt like the experiences I've had in the past had all in some way contributed to the knowledge that I would need to make this day a special and a success. Whether I will have another such meeting, and whether it will be such a success, I don't now know. But I do know that I will remember today, and I will remember Fiona, forever.

And they all lived "happily ever after. The end."