Dialing Back at Disney

Last week, I was surrounded by animals, but all of them were healthy. I was surrounded by a large dog, a giant mouse, a really angry duck, and a whole host of other creatures that were all perfectly healthy. None of them needed vaccines, none of them needed surgery because they had eaten something they should not have, and none of them tried to bite me – although the duck did have an attitude.  As you might have guessed, I was not at the office a few weeks ago, but on a Disney family vacation.   

Sometimes in the day-to-day life that we all lead, it is easy to forget about the special people in your world. I will admit that this happens to me more often than I would like. You take your little ones for granted and all of the sudden, you turn around and your youngest is 10 years old. These days we spent at Disney taught me a few things, cliché and obvious though they may be. I realized that life really is short, and you do not want to miss it. As I looked around at our three kids having the time of their lives, I realized that in the not so distant future, they will have their own families. Courtney and I will not be needed as much. To see them laugh and have fun with each other with their only worry in world being how many chicken nuggets they can eat at the buffet (Disney lost money on us, let me tell you!) or how many times they can ride the water slide in an hour is a beautiful thing. To be silly with them and stand in line to get a signature of a big mouse is something that should not be missed.  

I have had many clients tell me over the years that the kids grow up very fast. At times, when they were younger and we were up all night with one of them, I thought – maybe not fast enough. However, I now agree with them and really cherish these times when the kids still think we are cool. I know those teenage years are coming when our coolness will be gone! One thing Disney does well is gives us all the opportunity to see the world through a child’s eyes, and the simplicity, wonder, and yes, even the magic of it all is refreshingly sweet.