Imagine what it was like to believe in monsters under the bed, fairy godmothers, the myth of infinite power, and Santa Claus. Picture what it was like to believe in the innate goodness of man. To be ignorant of sex. To not grasp the meaning of death. To not understand the importance of responsibility. To be open to love and being loved. To trust without questions. To stay loyal to a person that might not deserve loyalty. It is these things, the openness, the innate humor, and playfulness that makes children appealing. They remind us of what we had and lost: the quality of innocence.
Recollecting a particular experience, Timm Lott wrote: “Innocence goes deeper than ignorance. It is some mysterious operation of the imagination, the part that can enter into mental universes from which one is soon to be forever excluded. I have my own particular recollection of this.
“Every year from when I was of reading age, I was given a Rupert the Bear annual for Christmas, and every Christmas day, I fell upon it with a passion, losing myself in the mysterious tales of Chinese wizards and sea-gods and wood sprites. Then one year, I picked up the annual and could not ‘get into it.’ It was just a book with pictures and a story. I could no longer enter its portal and inhabit its world.” [1]
While we do not necessarily mourn the loss of our childhood innocence, we remember with fondness those times when all it took to get us happy was the sound of our mother singing a lullaby or reading bedtime stories. I, for one, remember those times when all I cared about was playing with the neighbors, singing to myself, and perfecting my next dance step.
Amid all the hustle and bustle of life, we sometimes forget to stop and appreciate these little things. This story is one that allows us to reminisce on our childhood and see things once again, from the perspective of a child. More importantly, this story is one that tugs at our hearts in different amazing ways.
Innocent girl finds her Princess of Ballard on the streets of Seattle
When Shandance Lerma and her husband chose a wedding date, the last thing they ever imagined was that they would be fulfilling some little girl’s wish. But as they say, fate has a way of ordaining things that are meant to happen. [2]
After the couple had been joined together as man and wife, they stepped out for a photoshoot, as per the norm. While the photoshoot was ongoing, a little girl and her mum, who happened to be walking by at that moment, stopped to watch what was happening. As evidenced in the photos, the little girl was captivated by the stunning bride. A little probing discovered that she thought that the object of her attention was the princess from her favorite book. How cute is that? My heart just did a double flip. [3]
“My wife and I got married last February, and during the photoshoot, this little girl and her mom happened to be walking by,” Scott Robertson writes. “The little girl thought my beautiful wife was the princess from her favorite book (the one she’s holding).”
All of this happened during their photoshoot, and the photographer, Stephanie Cristalli, was unable to resist taking some photos of this amazing girl. What’s more? The little girl got a flower from her Princess of Ballard, Shandace Lerma’s bouquet. [4]
The little girl’s mom, who was also excited and happy at the turn of events, said Shandace would forever be her daughter’s Princess of Ballard.
“Your wife is forever the Princess of Ballard to her,” the little girl’s mom told Scott.
Unsurprisingly, the post has garnered a lot of reactions, comments, and shares and the internet can’t get enough of this cute girl.
Shandace will never forget that day in a hurry. She would look back on it at every anniversary and remember that she met an angel on her special day.
References
- “What exactly is the innocence of childhood?” The Guardian. Tim Lott. May 10,2013.
- “Girl Mistakes Bride For Real-Life Princess From Book She’s Holding, And Her Reaction Melts Everyone’s Hearts.” Bored Panda. Rūta Grašytė. Accessed March 4, 2020.
- “Little Girl Discovers Princesses Are Real When She Meets A Bride. Huff Post. Rebecca Zamon. June 15,2017.
- “Seattle girl mistakes bride for princess in favorite book.” Fox News. Admin. June 16, 2017.