Monday Motivation: Meeting Mickey

Friends

I hope it was a fabulous Mother’s Day for all you mothers and grandmothers out there! In honor of motherhood, I decided to take a little trip down memory lane and share one of my favorite Mommy moments!

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““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

John 13:34 – NIV

Jonathan stood stock still, soft brown eyes staring up in wonder. Towering above him loomed an enormous set of ears joined by a pair of dancing eyes. Sporting a mile wide grin of greeting, Mickey Mouse was peering Down at my little boy, white gloved hand outstretched in welcome.

It took several moments for Jonathan to take in this much anticipated meeting, but soon, he had his bearings and latched onto Mickey’s outstretched hand for an enthusiastic shake. Eyes like saucers, he turned his head toward me, “Mama, it’s Mickey!”

May of 1997 was a special month for our little family. Professionally, I was thrilled to deliver my presentation at the national critical care nursing conference. In the conference bookstore, I lifted my newly published nursing book off the shelf and held it in my hands. The sense of professional accomplishment evoked a giddy mixture of pride and amazement. But the thing that put me over the moon was the chance to meet Mickey.

The nursing conference was held in Orlando that May, and I traveled to Florida with another colleague, staying in the conference hotel. When the conference concluded, the plan was for my husband Eric and son Jonathan to fly down and meet me at Disney World. Eric and I had honeymooned at Disney, but this was Jonathan’s first trip. I am not sure who was more excited, Jonathan or his parents.

After completing my conference events, I took a taxi to the Disney property. When the cab pulled up to the entrance of the magnificent Wilderness Lodge, I was quite sure I had stepped into a fairy tale.

Their flight delayed, I waited nervously in the grand lobby for my boys to arrive. When Eric’s large frame filled the auspicious timber lined doorway, closely trailed by my little boy’s mesmerized face, I knew our amazing adventure had begun.

Having spent weeks plotting and planning our Disney experience, I had mapped out our agenda carefully to avoid long lines and cover the maximum amount of ground. Jonathan’s eyes were quarter-sized when we stepped through the gates of the Magic Kingdom. That’s when Jonathan met Mickey Mouse for the first time, and the three of us were all smiles as we huddled together with Mickey for our inaugural photo op!

As part of my careful trip planning, I had fortuitously purchased a meal plan. While redeeming our meal plan coupon at a fast food venue, I learned that we could use our meal pass at any restaurant on the property. To my great surprise, even character meals were covered. No further nudge required, I got busy making reservations for character meals all over the parks. We ate breakfast with Steamboat Mickey and lunch with Winnie the Pooh. On and on, our meal adventures went, having a few private moments with the whole cast of characters. Even Eric embraced the excitement, particularly enjoying his dining experience with the dazzling Pocahontas.

At one of our first stops, I spied an autograph book on a gift shop shelf. Armed with pen and book, Jonathan trotted off on a mission to gather every signature he could. Of course, every autograph came with a darling photo opportunity, and we snapped pictures of him all through the park.

One of my favorite moments was when we visited Mickey’s house. To five-year-old Jonathan, Mickey Mouse and all his friends were real, lifted off the TV screen and standing right beside him. When he stepped foot in Mickey’s house, he was absolutely spellbound. This was really Mickey’s house, and he could touch all his things. The look on his face was priceless!

Eric and I have always been big rollercoaster fans. On one of our early dating trips to a local amusement park, Eric figured out that he had a thrill seeker seated beside him, and that suited him just fine. He and I made a habit of riding rollercoasters whenever we had the chance.

On this trip, it was time to introduce our son to the thrill of rollercoasters, and we both wondered silently how he would react. We need not have worried.

Making our way to Future World, we found the line for Space Mountain. Measuring Jonathan’s height, he proudly declared that he was tall enough to ride. Seated beside Eric, Jonathan grinned at me through the crack between the seats. He was ready to roll!

The ride began, and our car twisted, turned and tumbled along the winding track, bright lights flashing as we flew through the darkness. I held my breath, not out of fear, but more anxiety as to how young Jonathan would weather this new experience. As he pounced onto the exit platform, I had my answer. He was dancing with excitement, his cherub face adorned with a brilliant smile, “Daddy, can we go again?”

I should have known then that my son would be an adventure seeker. We must have passed on the thrill seeking gene in his DNA.

During one of our shopping sprees to take a break from the heat, Jonathan and I found the perfect gift for his dad. After sneaking to the register to purchase it, the two of us presented Eric with his very appropriate “Grumpy” hat. The three of us erupted into a fit of giggles, and Jonathan’s dad wore that hat with pride. It turned out to be his ticket into the afternoon parade. When one of the performers saw his hat, she grinned and remarked, “Grumpy? Well, we can’t have that!” Tugging his hand, she pulled Eric into the parade much to the delighted cheers of his wife and five-year-old son.

But Eric’s most inspired “Daddy moment” actually came later. Each day as we cruised around the park, Jonathan would repeat the same phrase two or three times, “I want to go to the Magic Kingdom!” Invariably, one of us would patiently reply, “Buddy, we are in the Magic Kingdom!” Still, the comment didn’t cease.

On our last day in the park, we paused to rest on a bench overlooking Cinderella’s castle. Here came Jonathan’s daily mantra, “I want to go to the Magic Kingdom!”

Slightly perturbed, Eric bent down to peer into his little boy’s bright eyes. “Jonathan, where is the Magic Kingdom?” Leaping to his feet, our young son pointed emphatically straight toward the towering castle, exclaiming, “There, the Magic Kingdom!”

Both our mouths dropped open in surprise as we finally understood our son’s persistent request. “Ahhh…Yeah, we can go there!”

Grabbing each of his tiny hands in ours, the three of us trotted off to visit Cinderella’s sparkling home. Our trip to meet Mickey was finally complete, and the three of us headed home, having lived happily ever after for a few precious days.

PRAYER

O Gracious Lord, thank You for the blessing of good mothers and grandmothers, as well as all the special women who fulfill that role in our lives. We thank You for the love that binds us and makes our lives special. Lord, let us love one another well, sharing kindness, compassion, and encouragement with all those You put in our paths.

In the Loving Name of Jesus, we pray,

Amen

Mother’s Day Blessings,

Anita

-APS 5/12/2025