I can’t remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, but I remember the day I took this photo clearly. My daughter, a little over 2 years old, was completely enamored with Snow White. She received the costume for her birthday and proudly wore it everywhere we went, wig and all.

At the time, we lived close to Disneyland, and back then an annual pass was a steal at $99 for the year. I would pack us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and off the two of us would go, in search of Disney Princesses. 

I remember how she wanted to stroll through the park in her clunky, plastic, princess shoes, but I made her wear sneakers instead. I remember how she begged for that $5 Mickey Mouse ice cream pop but I thought it cost too much. Ever the practical mom. 

We never knew what characters would be out and about in the park. Some days it was just the “B list” characters, like Chip and Dale. Or someone she was terrified of, like Cruella de Vil. A Disney Princess could be a rare sighting.

But it was fate on the day my daughter wore this costume. We rounded a corner and there she was, Snow White, in all her raven-haired glory. Miraculously, there was no mob surrounding her, hardly even anyone at all.

She was reluctant at first, my very shy girl. But Snow White took one look at her and fell in love. She spoke with her at length, fixed her hair, hugged her, and basically lived up to everything my daughter expected her to be.

And I snapped that photo.

And then I blinked, and somehow my little Snow White is living in a big city and about to graduate from college. I wonder how many $5 Mickey Mouse ice cream pops her college tuition would buy?

My daughter may not have grown up to be Snow White, as she so fervently wished for back then. But she did grow up to be beautiful and compassionate, with a kind heart, and a great love for animals. So when I think about it, it seems she ended up exactly like her favorite princess after all. ❤

To all you young moms out there – I’m not going to be a cliche’ and tell you to “enjoy every moment” – you won’t. But I AM going to tell you that these years will go by faster than you ever thought possible. So maybe hold your little ones just a bit longer tonight. Because, in the blink of an eye, they will be grown and on their own, and boy, how you’ll miss those long, exhausting, magical days.