She's just misunderstood.

Last year, and right before Hallowe’en, my youngest daughter Molly asked to watch the movie Maleficient.

Knowing that it was a bit scary, I tried to convince her against it.  But being the brave lil 6 year old that she is, she was determined to watch it.  

In fact, she once asked me if I would give her permission to watch The Walking Dead.

"Ummmmmmm.....NO!????"  was my reply, to which she burst out laughing.  Insert eye roll here.

Anyway, she's definitely a kid that's NOT scared.

As Molly watched her movie, Lola played barbies and my sister and I sat at the kitchen table talking.

Now if you’ve ever seen this movie, then you will know that Maleficient is not as evil and scary as you’d think her to be.  

In fact, she reveals a much softer and different side to herself….

Halfway through the film, I overheard a conversation between my sister and Molly.

“You see Molly, Maleficient is not evil, she’s just misunderstood”, my sister calmly explained.

Molly sat quietly listening.  And even though she sat silently, you knew her little brain was working a million miles a minute.

She appeared to be thinking very hard about this statement.

And then she said, “Yeah!  You wight Auntie Mishi!  She’s not evow.  She’s just mizundowstood.”

Well.....of course this statement got MY little mind racing……as most things do.

She’s not evil, she’s just misunderstood….......


Hmmmmm.....

As I stared at the television screen, and at Angelina Jolie's beautiful face, I couldn’t help but wonder how amazing it would be to play someone completely different from yourself in a movie.  

In fact, not even for a movie, but just for ONE day.
  

How amazing it would be to actually BE Maleficient for ONE day.

GASP!! 

I COULD BE!!!!

“Mommy”, Molly said during her movie, “I fint I’m donna be Mal for Hallowe’en!  You know…. Maleficient’s daughter from the Descendents movie??”

And I instantly yelled back, “Awesome idea Mol!!  And I’ll be your Mom for Hallowe'en...... MALEFICIENT!!”

And it was then, that I heard Molly GASP for the first time ;) 

The day of our friend’s big Hallowe’en bash, the girls and I spent hours in my bathroom perfecting our looks.  Molly as Mal, I as Maleficient, and Lola as Hermione from Harry Potter. 

We all looked FABULOUS!!

In fact, I became slightly obsessed with my new look……AND my new persona.  


Once my horns were attached........ I actually FELT like Maleficient. 

I no longer felt the need to be bubbly and happy and giggly (which I am most of the time). 


I suddenly took on a very calm and quiet and mysterious demeanor.

Everything about me had instantly changed.    


Even the way I walked was different.  


I no longer skipped or jumped up the stairs, 2 at a time (which for some reason I always did).  Instead, I started sashaying. 

Were my feet even touching the floor???  Or had I grown wings???
  

As we arrived at my friend's Hallowe'en party, I was instantly greeted with “Oooohh’s and Ahhhhh’s” over my fabulous costume.  

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw lingering looks and overheard numerous comments as I floated out of the room.  

"Whoaaaaa......she looks AMAZING!!"

"She looks exactly like HER!!"

One young kid even came right up to me and said, “You actually look better than the REAL Maleficient!!” 

Obviously HE was my favorite that night.

All of this positive feedback motivated me to stay in character for the rest of the night.

I didn’t even eat ........because I’m pretty sure Angelina Jolie doesn’t eat.

But I did have a glass of wine.  

Red.  

Because if Maleficient DID drink, I’m almost certain that it would be red wine.

By the time the party was over, and we were back home, I sadly washed off my makeup and removed my horns. 

I placed them gently on my bedstand.

My time as Maleficient was over.

Or so I thought……

The actual night of Hallowe’en, the girls were with their dad.  So I would be home alone handing out candies for the trick-or-treaters....... which I actually loved to do.

As I got ready for the evening, I walked past my nightstand, where Maleficent's horns still sat.

And suddenly there was something inside of me pulling me towards them.

I know I didn’t REALLY need to get dressed up again, afterall, the kids weren’t even home.  

But for some reason, I felt a strong desire to do so....

And within half an hour, I floated down the stairs in my black cape again....... just as my first Hallowe’en visitor rang my doorbell.

Now here’s the best part!

I have a small window that runs alongside my front door, so anyone who comes to my house can actually peer into my front hallway which runs all the way to the back of the home.  

And usually, when little people (Lola and Molly’s friends) come to ask for playdates, they press their tiny little faces right up against that window and hold their hands above their eyes to block any glare – so that they can see everything in my house just perfectly.

Well, it was no different today.

As I floated ever so carelessly down the stairs, and turned the corner right before the front door, a little girl dressed as Rapunzel at my front window squealed!


I heard her through the door.

“Mommy!!” she screamed, “It’s MALEFICIENT!!”

I smiled Angelina’s vixen-like smile through the window at the little girl, and then opened the door.

Rapunzel stood there looking up at me in disbelief, almost forgetting to hold out her trick or treat bag for me.

I dropped several candies in the bag and said in a dragon-like hiss….”Happy Hallowe’en darling”.


She ran away screaming with joy,  "Did you see her Mommy??  It was Maleficent!!!"



Well, now, that was fun!!  


After that little ego boost, I managed to stay in character for the next 3 hours!

I had kids screaming on my front porch as I sashayed down the hall every time the doorbell rang.

I had this act DOWN PAT! 


The mesmerizing eye squints, the sexy voice, the terrifying laugh (where I cocked my head backwards and put my hand to my chest)……it was awesome!  I was putting on one fabulous show for these kiddies..... and not to mention for myself!

After a couple of hours of performing, I then noticed how busy the night was!?  I had NEVER had this many visitors on Hallowe'en before!?

I giggled to myself as I realized that word must have gotten around my neighbourhood about my costume, and my performance.  


I was FINALLY getting recognized as one of the popular Hallowe'en houses!! YES!  Take that guy down the street who scares kids with a live scarecrow and a real chainsaw!!!

It was then that I noticed quite the gathering of parents at my sidewalk who had all come to watch my show!  This was unbelievable!!


I did find it strange that most of the parents were dads though...….......?  


But still!  


I was just happy that they had come to watch my show!

As the night came to an end, and my visitors finally came to a stop, I knew that my time as Maleficient was sadly over.


I turned off the outside lights, blew out the candles in the pumpkins and made my way upstairs.

I washed off my makeup again, took off my horns.....again....and slowly transformed back into Ridiculous Girl.

The girl who talks way too loud, laughs like a wild hyena…… and wears her heart on her sleeve.

I’ll tell ya though, it was a nice change of pace to be someone different for a couple of days.

To be a little bit more mysterious, and a tad more devilish ;)  Sometimes you need that to spice things up a little, ya know??  

And dressing up like Maleficient has inspired me to behave like her a little bit every now and then.


Because it's not about being evil.


It's about stepping out of your routine life and being slightly different for a day.  We ALL need that once in a while.

And sometimes it's fun to be someone that people don't expect.



Because just like Maleficient, she wasn't exactly who you thought she'd be in that movie.  

She was just "mizundowstood".