The Most Magical Places on Earth
A few weeks ago, EA told me that I should go on some kind of adventure at the end of the month. She would be heading to QuiltCon in Raleigh for about five days which would leave me solo parenting for a bit. She knew that I would need some sort of break and distraction. First I checked to see if there was any space at the Abbey of Gethsemani where I had such a profound spiritual experience last year. When I found out that their lodging was full, I decided to fly off in a wildly different direction. I wanted to see if I could go to Disney World with my brother and sister.
(“Monastery or Disney World” is probably a succinct encapsulation of where my interests lie)
I texted both my siblings and asked if I could kidnap them for a couple of days at the end of the month for a Sibling Adventure. We’d meet down in Orlando, share a hotel room, spend a day hopping around several Disney parks, and then hurry back home to our respective families. It was a ridiculous idea and I was pretty doubtful that it could come together in such a short time. Both Taylor and Shari excitedly agreed and (more importantly) all our spouses signed off on the idea. This ludicrous scheme was going to happen.
I spent two weeks beyond excited. Taylor and Shari are two of my best friends in the entire world. We didn’t really fight much as kids. My sons are tired of hearing about this. I cite my love for their aunt and uncle so much that when I am trying to help the boys to get along, one of them will preemptively say, “Please don’t start talking about Aunt SheShe and Uncle Taylor.” I should state that they both love their aunt and uncle, they just don’t like me using examples of sibling relationships from, and I quote, “the last century.”
As close as we are, we have been geographically spread out for a decade or so. Taylor lived for a while in Atlanta and then Denver. When he and Tiffany moved back to South Carolina, jobs sent Shari and I to Missouri and Tennessee respectively. We’ll see each other on most big holidays or our semi-regular Mario Kart video chats. Yet this was the first time that the three of us would get to spend such a concentrated time together since we all started having kids.
On Thursday, Shari and I flew in from our respective cities and Taylor picked us up from the Orlando airport after driving down from South Carolina. We checked into our hotel and had a lovely evening in Disney Springs eating dinner, walking around, and talking. The beautiful thing is that we always pick up right where we left off. Our conversations often ping pong from the profoundly silly to the most important things in our lives: our spouses, kids, jobs, frustrations, and hopes. I cannot understate, especially after this last year, how important it is to have those kinds of people.
Friday was a whirlwind as we hit Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and the Magic Kingdom all in one day. As far as days at Disney go, we crushed it. We started the day walking right onto Rise of the Resistance and by the time Shari and I got off Space Mountain just before 11 PM, we had taken out 15 different attractions (17 if you count the Skyliner and Monorail, which you should), taken the time to stop for all three meals, snacks, and souvenirs for family members, and walked something like 14 miles.
The day was a blast and magical. The three of us love the world building, attention to detail, and whimsy that go into making all of those attractions. We are nerds for telling stories with heart and creativity. Disney is one of those places that give you the permission to let childlike wonder roam free. And so we got to participate in the sacred practice of play. Taylor and I got to delight at Shari’s excited reactions to so many new rides she had yet to experience. We got to ooh and ahh, laugh and scream, and be together.
And honestly that last part is what made everything so magical. As awesome as Disney is—and believe me, I could write a book on how much I love Epcot—the best thing in the world was to spend the day with my brother and sister. They are my people. They love me. They get me. Outside of EA, they are the first people I go to with struggles and joys. I admire the heck out of them.
And I love spending time with them whether it is walking around World Showcase or spending 7 hours in a car like I did with Taylor on Saturday. When you are with your people, anywhere can be the most magical place on earth. So find your people and make the most of the adventures and ordinary moments that you share together.