e
upon a time....
There was a woman named Julia who
lived in a small village in a small kingdom. She worked very hard. She
had inside of her a sort of yearning to be a part of life, but she always
had much work to do. She thought that ws what she should do: take care
of others, and be a good responsible person. But still she felt the yearning
and was not completely content.
Then
one day an evil wizard came to her cottage and put a curse on her so that
she worked harder and harder and never got any rest, time to enjoy life,
or even take care of herself, until she was very tired and very sick. She
went to see a wise man in the village to see if he could help her. Everyone
looked up to him for his great wisdom and healing powers. He told her he
could give her a magic potion to take the curse away.
Julia became even sicker when she took the magic potion. She could no longer work and had to rest and take care of herself. But soon she began to feel better, and something mysterious and exciting was happening to Julia! As the curse left her body, her yearning for life also emerged. Her life took on a radiance she had never known before!
The sky appeared as splendid as
heaven to her. The birds sang like a symphony orchestra. Her home resembled
a castle. A simple picnic tasted like a banquet dinner. Fields of wildflowers
smelled like the palace rose gardens. All the things she touched felt soft
fine furs. Her family became as resplendent as royalty. 
Her
husband appeared as handsome and charming as the prince of the kingdom.
And her friends were transformed into elegant kings and queens. She laughed
more often, sang beautiful songs, danced lovely dances. She loved the new
life the magic potion and the wise man seem to have brought to her. She
know from then on that she needed to take care of herself, love herself,
and love life.
"And what about the future?" she asked the wise man. "Will the curse return? Will I need more of your magic? Will I live like this forever? Will I die?"
And the wise man answered, "Although I have studied long and hard and know many things, I do not know the answers to your questions. The curse may still be lurking quietly inside of you waiting to take over your life again, and it may do so, and you may die. But in the meantime, if you believe in the power of the magic, you will love life and find treasures in those around you worth more than all the gold in the kingdom! You now have the power to make the magic yourself. It is your choice, Julia. You may accept your magic for today with no promises or guarantees for the future, or you can spend today in fear that the curse will return. It is your choice, Julia."
Julia listened intently. She knew that her life would never be the same as it had been before the curse had been put on her. She felt a part of life and all the riches it had to offer. I'd like to say that Julia lived happily ever after, but I can only say that Julia lived happily!
The 16th Century movie is a retelling
of the Cinderella story with a twist. This Cinderella, Danelle, played
by Drew Barrymore is beautiful as well as wise, a victim of circumstances,
who manages to rise above and 'soar.' In Danelle, the have managed to create
a positive role model for young women...beautiful, adventurous, strong,
smart and a survivor. A Cinderella for a new generation, a woman not likely
to stay at home and wait for her prince to rescue her...this one will be
out fighting with him. According to the director, Andy Tennant, who has
two daughters, he did not want them growing up believing you have to marry
a rich guy with a big house in order to live happily ever after. With "Ever
After" they put a new spin on the Cinderella message, "that Cinderella's
magic comes from within, not from some fairy godmother."
EVER
AFTER POSTCARDS
From the movie, by fox they have
created postcards to send to friends. The e-cards are beautiful collages
from the movie, and the messages both motivational and inspirational.
You can dream. You can defy. You can rebel. You can escape.
You can desire. You can promise.