It's a Small World After All

It's a Small World After All

"There are no random acts...We are all connected...You can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind..."~Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven

I've only been to Disney World twice. I went once, on a high school trip, as a sophomore. I went again as a chaperone for the Timber Creek class of 2009. I have never been with my family. Disney World just wasn't my family's style. We vacationed by Lake Winnipesauke in New Hampshire. We rented a modest cabin and we lounged on the docks and splashed in the lake every day for a week in the summer. I loved it and never felt as if I was missing out. As a sophomore in high school, I followed my Disney-loving friends around the theme park from exhibits, to rides, to shows, but frankly, I missed Mt. Washington. I was never a Disney World-kind-of-girl.

But...

I loved Disney animated films. I loved the stories and music. As an adult, I love Moana and Frozen I and II. (As a side-note, I'm really not sure why Frozen II was only nominated for best song and not for the script and epic acting. I'm a huge Kristen Bell fan.)

On both of my Disney trips, I visited the Small World "ride." I was not into it. However, the themes, which drive my current love of Disney, captivated me. I remember walking around in the Florida humidity and thinking about the concept of a small world. The planet is big. But small in the universe. Our individual problems are big. But small compared to the problems of the world. But one thing I know, all of our individual problems in this big world come down to one small thing: fear. I have learned the true opposite of love is not hate, but fear. So the only thing to overcome fear is to conquer it with love. Love reminds us that our problems are not insurmountable; they are, in fact, small.

On quarantine, my family of 4 has consumed 4 seasons of Disney Jr.'s Sofia the First. We can quote episodes and Michael and I find ourselves singing the theme song as we wash dishes AFTER the girls are in bed. For those of you who don't know, Sofia was a girl in a village outside of the fictional kingdom, Enchancia. Her widowed mother marries the king, and Sofia becomes a princess over night. She is also given a magical amulet. The amulet has several powers, one of which is connecting Sofia to ALL of the other Disney princesses. There are episodes where Sofia receives help from Jasmine, Tiana, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella...etc.

In the final episode (spoiler alert), Sofia faces an evil queen named, Vor. As Vor tries to defeat Sofia by playing into Sofia's biggest fear, being alone, Sofia sees a vision of all of Disney princesses. This support shows Sofia that she is never really alone. It is a small world in which all of the women of Disney are close. Sofia's heart emits a white light which defeats Vor's efforts in scaring Sofia to death.

The following people, though I may rarely see them, have been sending me cards, texts, and posted comments. They show me that we are all connected and this pesky little problem of cancer is nothing to fear.

Thank you for the cards (and extra caring emails/texts/messages): Stephanie Decosta, Bonnie Brady, Mr. and Mrs. Sommers,  Mr. and Mrs. Preston, John Perkis, Sherry Gucciardi, Val Hicks, Jamie Graf, Gionni Johnson, and Paola Alaqua.

Cathy Schliep and Mary Dressel, featured in other blog posts, continue to send me cards, texts, and posts.

I have received flowers and cards from some other close friends and family. If not mentioned here, they will definitely be mentioned soon!

"No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true..." ~Cinderella

P.S. I've kind of come over to the Disney World team. I can't wait to see my girls' faces when they go to the actual park. I'm a Disney World-kind-of-parent.