The year was 1975 in Disney World/Magic Kingdom with my friend, Irene. It is one of my fondest childhood memories, a truly amazing adventure that I will never forget! We had such a good time and I recall not wanting to leave the happiest place on earth- at all! There was something indeed magical about Disney World that encouraged child-like wonder and joy at every turn. Jim and I are so thrilled that our Brian will experience this same magic for the very first time at Disney World starting on Monday for 5 days. I’m so excited, that I’ve barely been able to sleep this week, it’s like waiting for Christmas morning to come! I feel like an overgrown kid who can hardly contain herself from the anticipation of the adventures that lie ahead. I hope Brian will have the best time of his life! Although Brian can’t tell us in words, I am sure his actions, behavior, and child-like joy will speak volumes and it will all be good!

Speaking of magic, if I had a magic wand, I would immediately eradicate Brian’s disabilities, no doubt about it! His life and ours would be much less complicated on so many levels.. Believe me, I have searched for this wand on numerous occasions- but- there is one thing that I would NEVER change about Brian, and something that I wish to aspire to myself, and that is to have more of that sense of genuine, child-like wonder! You know, that joy, curiosity, and honesty that we ourselves experienced as children, but somehow these things have been replaced over the years with skepticism, mistrust, and dissatisfaction. How did we adults ever become so jaded?

There is no doubt that our life experiences have shaped our attitudes, behaviors, and responses. Adversities and challenges of all kinds have happened or will happen to everyone one of us. These setbacks can be temporary, or permanent, and over time, can threaten to rob us of joy, perspective, and hope. It’s human to feel frustrated, scared, angry, and discouraged when we are slammed by challenges. I certainly have felt many times all of the aforementioned and have no doubt I will again in the future. But I don’t want to remain “stuck” in the details of life events that I can’t change- it doesn’t serve any purpose. It’s important to acknowledge and call things for what they are, but then there is a time to let things go and move on. So, I look to Brian for child-like guidance in such matters, and like very much what I see!

The ” World According To Brian” is a place where he takes people and things at face-value. It is a scary place, (because literally every new situation or person is unfamiliar ), but once the initial transition is made, there is a genuine appreciation and joy that Brian experiences with time and repetition. It really doesn’t take much to make Brian happy at all! His social interactions with others are a highlight for him- without words, he communicates his joy and wants so much to engage. Brian also vocalizes his sheer delight when we read several bedtime stories to him nightly- you would think that he just won the lottery; he is so happy with his books! Of course, music, goldfish crackers, and ANYTHING related to the movie “Frozen”, especially “Olaf”, guarantees the most gleeful response and joy ever seen by mankind! Such simple, yet powerful, appreciation of the little things in life is a good reminder for me.

This will also be Brian’s first time on an airplane, and we are hoping that this major transition goes smoothly. This is a trip that we have planned and anticipated for a long time and very much look forward to! There will be numerous opportunities for child-like wonder at Disney World , not only for Brian, but also for my husband and I . While we will certainly record this momentous occasion through numerous pictures, I plan to be mindful of every experience, looking through my son’s eyes, and soak in each moment of his pure wonder and joy… It will also be an opportunity to go back to 1975 and be a kid all over again, unjaded, living in the moment, and allowing the fun experiences to bring me back to my own childhood. Let the magic begin and long may it remain afterwards in the heart and soul…❤️❤️

Thanks for reading! 😊