At the Lar Santa Mónica, 21 girls traded their worries for crowns, their routines for adventures, and their difficult histories for a story in which every single one of them, without exception, was the protagonist.
Once upon a time, in a city by the sea, where the sun never seems to tire of shining and the heat invites dreams of cool waters, there was a small palace called Lar Santa Mónica. Living there were 21 girls who, although they were not born in castles nor had royal blood, kept something in their hearts that no golden crown can buy: the ability to dream again.
Every year, when Brazil dresses in celebration to honor Our Lady of Aparecida, the country’s patroness, it also celebrates Dia das Crianças, Children’s Day. And since no kingdom worth its salt is without a party for its little inhabitants, the 21 girls of Lar Santa Mónica, in Fortaleza, received a very special invitation: for one whole day, they would be princesses.
A carriage, 21 princesses, and a kingdom to discover
The chronicles of that kingdom tell that, at nine o’clock on the morning of Sunday, October 11, a four-wheeled motorized carriage waited at the palace gates. It had no white horses or coachman with a feathered hat, but it did have enough space to carry something much more valuable: 21 dreams that could barely be contained amidst laughter, songs, and questions about what was to come.
The destination was a kingdom of fun called Espaço Bora Multiatividades, where the water sparkled under the Fortaleza sun and where a group of fairy godmothers waited with all the preparations to transform our little protagonists into authentic royal highnesses.
Those fairies had not come from an enchanted forest or the pages of a book. They belonged to three groups with names that seemed taken from a beautiful story: Embaixadores de Cristo, from the Capela Menino Jesus; Peregrinos de São Miguel Arcanjo, from the Igreja da Glória; and Amigas do Bem. Three groups of people who had decided to join their hands, their time, and their affection to give the girls an unforgettable day.
And the transformation began. There was makeup, brushes, and colors, nails painted with care, and hair that, by a very particular kind of magic, turned pink. There was no shortage of crowns—because a princess without a crown is like a story without an ending—nor the many gifts their majesties received to enjoy that extraordinary day. Everything was arranged so that no one would be without her moment of glory.
But the surprises did not end there. In one of the corners of the kingdom, the princesses found small ceramic figures waiting patiently to be colored. And so, amidst paints, brushes, and much imagination, each one was also able to become an artist, giving life to her own creations. Because in that palace, no two princesses were alike, nor were there two works of art that had to look the same.
And as every princess deserves to have something bearing her name, each one received a bottle to keep her water cool, with her name laser-engraved. It was not a crown jewel or a treasure hidden in a chest, but it had something that made it unique: it was made especially for her. In that small detail was hidden a much larger message: every girl has a name, a story, and a value that no one can take away from her.
Those good women, who carried no magic wands or glittery wings, possessed a much more extraordinary power: that of giving their time to make others happy. And so, amidst brushes, nail polish, ceramics, laughter, and the occasional mirror, 21 princesses appeared, each with her own style, her own smile, and her particular way of feeling like a queen for a day.
When the princesses traded their crowns for water
But there is something that palace tales often forget: being a princess can be exhausting. Between the protocol, the jewels, the hairstyles, and all the pomp, our highnesses discovered that crowns are beautiful, but with temperatures over thirty degrees in Fortaleza, they are much less interesting than a good swimming pool.
And since in that kingdom there was no law prohibiting princesses from having fun, the time came to abandon the royal finery for a few hours. The crowns were put away safely, the elegant dresses gave way to swimsuits, and the solemn ladies of the court became the most joyful swimmers in the kingdom.
And what a party broke out in those waters! There were splashes, races, games, and laughter that rang out like bells of joy. Because a princess might lose a shoe, like Cinderella, or sleep for a hundred years, like Sleeping Beauty, but our 21 protagonists were very clear that they were not willing to lose a single minute of pool time.
But the most beautiful thing about that kingdom was not the crowns, the dresses, or even the pool. It was discovering that those 21 princesses also knew how to take care of one another. In the water, they accompanied each other and looked out for the youngest ones; at the banquet, they helped each other eat; and between games, they combed each other’s hair to recover the elegance that the splashing had undone. Because in that palace, no one needed servants or ladies-in-waiting: each princess found in another a hand ready to help her. And so, without the need for grand speeches or lessons in protocol, our little highnesses demonstrated that true nobility is not carried on the head, but in the heart. Because the most beautiful crown is the one that cannot be seen, but is recognized in the way one cares for others.
When the clock struck one in the afternoon, it was time for the banquet. And, as befits any royal celebration, their majesties paused to regain their strength. After so much adventure, hunger had conquered the kingdom, and the table awaited its illustrious guests.
However, that banquet did not end the party. Once their energy was replenished, the princesses returned to the water, because there were still games to invent, laughter to share, and memories to keep. Thus the hours passed until, at four in the afternoon, the carriage set off once again toward the palace.
There were no trumpets announcing the return, nor soldiers forming a guard of honor. Only 21 girls returning to Lar Santa Mónica after having lived one of those days that deserve to be kept in the chest of happy memories.
And they lived happily ever after… but the story is not over yet
Stories usually end with a wedding, a castle, and that well-known promise that everyone lived happily ever after. But the story of our 21 princesses deserves a different ending, because their lives have not exactly been a fairy tale.
Despite their young age, these girls have known realities far too harsh for those who are just beginning to discover the world. Some have had to learn too soon that life does not always offer hugs, protection, and security. Their stories are written with pages that no child should ever have to live through.
However, if these little princesses of Fortaleza teach us anything, it is that no matter how hard life can be, there is always the possibility of smiling again. That after tears, joy can return; that wounds need time and tenderness to heal; and that even when it seems dreams have been lost, someone can always appear ready to help us recover them.
Many of them are discovering this truth little by little thanks to the love and care of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Heart of Jesus, the daily dedication of their caregivers, and the generosity of so many people who understand that charity does not consist solely of giving money or material things. Sometimes, the most beautiful gift we can offer is our time, our presence, and our ability to make someone feel that they are important, that they deserve to be loved, and that their story still has many beautiful pages to be written.
The fairy godmothers from Embaixadores de Cristo, Peregrinos de São Miguel Arcanjo, and Amigas do Bem did not turn pumpkins into carriages or mice into horses. They did something much more difficult and wonderful: they gave a day of happiness to 21 girls who deserve every happy day in the world.
And perhaps that is the true secret of this story. That castles are not necessary for princesses to exist, nor golden crowns to recognize their dignity, nor magic wands to transform reality. Sometimes a little love, a swimming pool, generous hands, and someone to remind us that we are still capable of smiling is enough.
Because that Sunday, in Fortaleza, the 21 girls of Lar Santa Mónica were princesses for a day. But their dignity as princesses, their value, and their right to be loved do not end when they take off the crown. They are one of the many treasures that God has entrusted to us to care for and guard as an Augustinian Recollect Family, here in Brazil and in so many corners of the world. Treasures that are not kept under lock and key or hidden in chests, but are protected with tenderness, accompanied with patience, and helped to grow with love.
And they lived happily ever after… but this story has not ended. Because tomorrow, at Lar Santa Mónica, there will be 21 new opportunities to continue writing a story of hope. And as long as there are hands ready to care for these little treasures, there will always be reasons to believe that stories can also have happy endings.
