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Stepping In Today…

                             With Laura Vomvos

The Path of the Wicked Stepmother

Once again we have a creative movie production company releasing a new horror film entitled “Stepfather”. You know, the one in which the evil stepfather plots against every family member.  It never ceases to amaze me how we struggle to get away from this stereotypic thought process, only to be returned to it daily in our films, fairytales and clinche’s.

     As I sat in my office one day I had to interject my opinion when I heard someone say “They were treating me like a stepchild” only to have another correct it and say “Yeah, the red-headed stepchild”.  I proudly arose from my desk to exclaim that those comments were giving me a bad name.  After all, my stechildren are treated exceptionally well.  Infact, I have been accused by my own biological children of saving the best meals for them, and baking brownies only when they are home with us.  Well, there is a slight truth to that, but it isn’t that I save it for them, or withhold it from my own, it is simply that I plan special meals and treats when we can all enjoy it together as a family.

    So, I have a theory as to the path of the Wicked Stepmother.  She wasn’t born that way.  No, she was created.  You see, there is a story before Cinderella.  Prior to marrying Cinderella’s father, I am convinced that this same woman was Snow White.  When Snow White moved into the home of her former husband she was granted the pleasure of the seven little dwarfs running around.  It wasn’t long before she realized that Sneezy left his tissues everywhere and she was the one expected to clean them up, and get his medicine when he was up all night with allergies.  Grumpy walked by her without even so much as saying hello.  Doc was a  know-it-all and questioned everything she did.  Happy left his sporting equipment all over, causing Dopey to trip and fall over it - none of the dwarfs picked anything up.  Bashful wasn’t really a problem but didn’t speak to her much at all, and Sleepy stayed out late, had her up all night worrying and slept until noon the next day.  Finally, having felt unloved and unappreciated she moved out and met Cinderella’s dad.   Cinderella was a really sweet girl but she didn’t have a chance. Those seven dwarfs did that stepmother in, and this time she had zero tolerance.  So, the moral of the story is; the stepmother and the stepfather are not wicked.  They are placed in a situation that teeters between the parent relationship and the building of a friendship.  While, need I add, that all the while everything done is inspected by the outside force of the other bio-parent.  (I believe she held an apple to her at some point, but will write that out of my script for now).  Sometimes they even wonder if they truly are running their household at, as it certainly was not without outside interference.  The path to the Wicked Stepmother is a long one, and one full of boundaries and efforts that far exceed that of the intact family unit. A path in which I quickly claim my space, so I never journey that far to the wicked side! With that in mind, I ask you all to rethink the stepparent persona, give us respect and love we deserve and watch how quickly that is returned. 

    Now, I know I have a movie in the making here.  Any co-writers care to join me?

Stepping out until next month.  Write me at Steppingintoday@aol.com