Look, Your Worshipfulness, let’s get one thing straight! I take orders from one person! Me! - Han Solo

My real name means “princess.” By definition, a princess is a member of a royal household, royalty referring to a ruling monarchy. I already know who my King is.

This post might seem rather egotistical, but I was recently asked if I knew what my name really meant. Well, yeah. “Princess.” And now that I think about it, I’ve always taken the meaning of my name seriously. In fact, when some stores and clothing lines began producing certain articles of clothing that boasted “I’m a Princess!” about the girl wearing it, I got miffed. Especially if I knew that girl’s name did NOT mean “princess.”

What is the first thing that comes to mind when one tries to visualize a princess? I usually see a girl or young woman who is the epitome of Beauty, or becoming one: gowns of silk, slippers, precious jewelry, subtle perfume, glistening skin and perfect hair. She is also highly cultured and educated, well-versed in the proper courtly mannerisms, and if she is being groomed to inherit the crown one day, she will also be diplomatic and polite.

Depending on her personality and upbringing, a princess would be gracious if not graceful, courteous, kind, generous, sheltered, insecure, conceited, selfish, and even ruthless. Her people could love or hate her - her popularity with the citizenry rises and falls in direct proportion to this factor.

I can’t tell you if I truly possess all of these traits, but perhaps it doesn’t matter. I have always been rather weary of my name because there are many other girls who also carry it. But now I take the meaning of my name to heart.

Someday, I’ll be able to actually live up to it.