I am princess, hear me roar.

Today H said to me, "Mommy, I'm Rapunzel, and E (her friend) is Ariel. B is the boy and we're going to marry him."

It stopped me in my tracks. It was the first time, despite all the princess play they've had, that I saw this princessification oozing into her.

If J had it his way, H and B wouldn't know that princesses existed. Real or otherwise.

Obviously he doesn't have it his way. They both loving dressing up and being princesses.

Of course, I deeply respect and understand J's reasoning. Obviously. We're a team, and we actually have pretty similar feelings toward the whole princess-obsessed culture going on.

But I'm much more conflicted.

Because I'm a girl, I supposed. Because I see it in more than one way.

Because I was the Disney generation and grew up with princesses.

I watched The Little Mermaid pretty much daily as a toddler.

Yet I'd never change myself for a man. Ever.

So I'm not too damaged.

I never dreamed of a man coming along and sweeping me off my feet and us living happily ever after (though it happened!).

I was raised to be a mighty woman. You know, "I am woman, hear me roar!" And boy can I ever roar!

I was raised to be tough, brave, independent, and fierce. Anything men can do, I can do better.

Needing a guy for anything was really frowned upon. I needed to stand on my own two feet and take care of myself. I should never expect anyone to do that for me.

And I got it. I understood.

I want to raise a mighty woman, too.

But at the same time, obviously how I was raised affected me way more than watching princess movies ever did.

Because when my own Prince Charming did come and sweep me off my feet, I hesitated. I cried. I ran. I said "no." I laughed at the idea of marriage. I felt bad for wanting it. I felt guilty for being in love. Like I wasn't supposed to be.

And then actually marrying him and being a wife and mother and "nothing more." Oh, geez. It took me a very long while to accept, and truly believe, that I was still mighty. That wanting to be a wife and mother was in fact a noble thing. I was tough, brave, and fierce. That I was still independent, just in a different way.

It took me a while to believe that I could be a princess, and still roar a mighty roar.

The truth is, princesses aren't all frail and dainty. Most of them are the fiercest of creatures. They are strong and courageous and will change the world.

But the way they change the world depends on a lot more than watching and playing princesses; it depends on how they're raised. What they're taught. How much they're loved and respected and cherished and shown that it's important to take care of yourself, to stand up for others, but every now and then, it's also okay to let down your guard and let someone else join your team in world domination.

While we were eating H told me, "I'm a princess and E is a princess. We're just going to marry each other."

And I knew we're doing things okay. Because in her world princesses can marry each other and it isn't something she'd ever question.

And that's the kind of mighty, fierce, strong, brilliant, open-minded princess I want to raise anyway.