I’ve tried not to take this parenting stuff too seriously, so I guess it makes sense that I ended up getting my best ideas from a not-so-serious source - Walt Disney. He created the ultimate parenting lab at his parks. Take a sparkling, perfectly manicured Fantasyland, throw in a family for a day or two, surround them with thousands of people from all over the world and dozens of perpetually happy cartoon characters and see what comes out. I know I always come out a better mom.
My first real Mickey Moment happened on our first trip to Disneyland. Four adults, Mom, Dad, Nana and Papa, were tripping over a two-year-old, fighting to push the stroller through the happiest place on earth. We tap danced around that kid for acres, like it was our last chance to pour everything in. We knew Shana would remember this amazing journey, it would definitely pay off, and she would want to take care of us when we’re old. The only problem was that Mickey was kind of scary and Shana couldn’t care less about spinning around in a flying elephant, her happiest place on earth was the pool at the hotel. I was definitely the Dumbo that day. It was all just too much, too fast, too soon.
On another trip to Disneyland, we got it right – perfect, legs-dangling-in-the-air, balance. Late one night, the place was close to empty and Shana and her friend went on Space Mountain. They were the only two little heads on the entire roller coaster. They emerged four and a half minutes later, gave a quick wave, and rode again and again and again for almost an hour. She owned Disneyland that night, and watching the pure joy on her ten-year-old face from my space-age perch was better than any ride I’ve ever been on. That night I got a glimpse of an older Shana through my Tomorrowland-colored glasses and saw that as long as she’s buckled up tight and safe, it’s okay to skip a bedtime, eat too much cotton candy and just have fun as life races by.
A couple of years later, though, while walking around Epcot Center, I announced, “If I never see another Mickey Mouse, my life will be complete.” It was hot, crowded, expensive, and Shana was being impossible. As we were eating our $20 hamburgers, I saw a family that had on Make-A-Wish badges. I watched them through my tears as I realized this was the little girl’s final wish – her very last Disney day. I had the whole world right in front of me, all seven continents represented, and it still wasn’t enough. I had lost sight of how precious my own little universe was and vowed that I would never again take a day with my daughter for granted. I could almost hear Walt singing “It’s a small world, after all.”
Shana and I still have some ups and downs, and I’m anticipating a pretty rough ride ahead as she gets ready to go off to college. So while there’s still a chance, I booked a trip to Disneyland for a 16th birthday celebration. This will probably be my last trip to the happiest place on earth and I have just one more What Would Walt Do? question. How do I let her go? The answer will probably be to put on a flawless Snow White face and smile and wave as my little Minnie Me packs up and leaves. I’m guessing it won’t be that easy. |
