We just returned from a fantastic two weeks of all six of us together for the first time in a long time. It was amazing, and hard, and fun, and stressful, and so so good. Really just so so good. In full disclosure: The airline forgot to load the wheelchair onto our return plane. And then when we finally had the manual chair brought from baggage claim and loaded with Benjamin and made it to our van, it would not start. But such are the perils of traveling. Car batteries die. And sadly, just as frequently, airlines mishandle wheelchairs. There is no excuse for the latter. But tonight I am choosing to file the hard, stressful yuck away and focus on the really really good.
So often these days, I sit down to type and realize with grown adult children, I am no longer the writer of their stories. Oh they still let me share, but more often than not, I am on the sidelines at best (cheering of course), and a casual by-stander at worst (still cheering though.).
But I am still -- and hope I will forever have the privilege to be -- the keeper of their childhood stories. And so as I sort through the hundreds of photos, I am struck by this one that makes me smile and remember:
The triplets were 4 the first time we had breakfast at Cinderella's Castle in Walt Disney World. When Aladdin came to our table, he immediately sat down in the floor with Benjamin who had watched that movie on a continuous loop for the longest time. When Benjamin told Aladdin he hoped one day to have a magic lamp, Aladdin told him perhaps one would appear during the trip. Wade and I fairly panicked. Benjamin never forgot a thing....we knew he would be waiting for this lamp to appear the rest of our trip. We were not sure what to do.
We didn't need to worry. We walked in to our room that very afternoon to a lamp waiting for Benjamin, and Genie dolls for Mason and Claire! And scribbled on a little notepad (with a Genie on it no less) was a note asking us to sit in a particular location for the next day's parade.
We had no idea what to expect, but we rearranged our day to include being in that spot for that parade. My little trio were so excited when the parade started. Wade with his video camera was taking it all in. I was -- naturally -- snapping a million photos as I tend to do of parades. Then the strangest thing started happening. Cast members accompanying floats started stopping to speak to the triplets telling them they must be Aladdin's friends! They had heard all about them. It happened several times and the kids were just delighted.
Then all of a sudden, Aladdin and his float were upon us. He was waving and we were all five waving back. The cast members accompanying that float were swordsmen. They stopped and spoke to Benjamin and Mason and Claire and then looked at me and very solemnly informed me that Aladdin would like for us to meet him at Town Hall following the parade.
We assumed there would be a meet and greet with Aladdin following the parade and so we made our way to Town Hall on Main St. but could find no trace of Aladdin. We waited for several minutes before I went inside. I was pretty meek as I explained how this might sound crazy, but Aladdin had asked us to meet him there. I was quickly assured that I wasn't crazy and we were escorted through the door and to a waiting Aladdin -- who legitimately just wanted Benjamin, Mason, and Claire to be able to have photos with him in his Prince Ali costume!
That lamp did not leave Benjamin's hand for years. He loved the shine right off and it still has a featured space on his bookcase.
But that was far from the only gift Aladdin gave our family that day. With his kindness, with his going-the-extra-mile attention to our three, he taught two young parents who were unsure what the future would hold for their kids, that no matter what there would be kindness. He taught us that no matter what their abilities -- or inabilities -- our crew would have good people come alongside them. He taught us that there would be those willing to go over and beyond to befriend them.
So as soon as we heard about the photo opportunity afforded us before the Aladdin show on our cruise, I knew we had to be there! Such precious memories of a young man who went out of his way to give a little magic to a little boy -- and a lot of hope to his parents -- once upon a time!!
0 comments:
Post a Comment