This I Believe: The Magic, The Memories, and You
The pavement was hot beneath my skin under the relentless Florida sun. Sweat traveled in tiny rivulets down my back, and my year-and-a-half-old daughter’s hair was plastered to her forehead. I had liberally applied sunscreen over the course of the day, but I was still skeptical of its powers. We tried staving off the heat by sharing a Mickey bar, practically devouring it in our haste to savor it before it melted into a sticky puddle at our feet. My daughter’s chocolaty grin and bright eyes were testament to her excitement as the air came alive with an upbeat tempo and brightly colored parade floats emerged from the haze like so many desert mirages. I watched my daughter watching the parade, my eyes locked on hers, thankful for the dark sunglasses that hid the tears pooling in the corners of my eyes. I watched her, giddy with joy, her tiny hands clapping excitedly, chubby little legs kicking wildly, diminutive voice squealing gleefully. The magic was palpable as princesses twirled in sparkling gowns and rainbow-bedecked cast members danced and sang in the streets with contagious exuberance, and we were part of it all.
At some point, the heat ceased to matter; I forgot my fear of lobstered skin, and I wished with all my heart that those naysayers of doom who warned me against taking a toddler to Walt Disney World in the middle of summer could bear witness to my daughter’s unadulterated wonder in the face of the enchantment that surrounded her. I believe that in that place and in that moment I experienced true happiness as I watched my daughter become bewitched by Disney magic, happiness that transcended physical discomforts and suffused my being until it began to seep out in salty tears of joy. I believe that every parent and every child should experience this magic and witness the joy that comes from being immersed in Disney enchantment.
My own first trip to Disney wasn’t until I reached high school, after spending a decade jealous of peers returning from vacations sporting mouse-gear. I still remember my own father’s look of intense expectation deliberately trained on my younger sister and me as we rounded the corner of Main Street USA and saw Cinderella Castle for the first time. I know I gasped audibly, eyes wide with wonder. Any angsty feelings I might have been harboring vanished in the wake of my own amazement, and thinking back on that memory, I yearned to share that feeling with my own child. There is something truly special about Disney magic, something that transforms joy into pure bliss and makes happiness even happier, something that every parent and child should share at least once.
Every day, as I anticipate our next trip to Disney, I remember my daughter’s eyes shining with exhilaration, mine with tears of joy, and await future moments of magic. I believe in the wonder and optimism of Disney, and I can’t wait to share more Disney moments with her.
At some point, the heat ceased to matter; I forgot my fear of lobstered skin, and I wished with all my heart that those naysayers of doom who warned me against taking a toddler to Walt Disney World in the middle of summer could bear witness to my daughter’s unadulterated wonder in the face of the enchantment that surrounded her. I believe that in that place and in that moment I experienced true happiness as I watched my daughter become bewitched by Disney magic, happiness that transcended physical discomforts and suffused my being until it began to seep out in salty tears of joy. I believe that every parent and every child should experience this magic and witness the joy that comes from being immersed in Disney enchantment.
My own first trip to Disney wasn’t until I reached high school, after spending a decade jealous of peers returning from vacations sporting mouse-gear. I still remember my own father’s look of intense expectation deliberately trained on my younger sister and me as we rounded the corner of Main Street USA and saw Cinderella Castle for the first time. I know I gasped audibly, eyes wide with wonder. Any angsty feelings I might have been harboring vanished in the wake of my own amazement, and thinking back on that memory, I yearned to share that feeling with my own child. There is something truly special about Disney magic, something that transforms joy into pure bliss and makes happiness even happier, something that every parent and child should share at least once.
Every day, as I anticipate our next trip to Disney, I remember my daughter’s eyes shining with exhilaration, mine with tears of joy, and await future moments of magic. I believe in the wonder and optimism of Disney, and I can’t wait to share more Disney moments with her.