It is a Small World - After All.

It is a running joke within my marriage, that I am NOT a fan of the "It's A Small World" ride at Disney World. Boring, Cutesy, Freakish ... these are the words I use to describe it ... among others. But, it is a staple ride at the Magic Kingdom - one that everyone must endure, I mean enjoy as part of the park experience. So, I did my parental duty ... and took Isaac and his Meaghan on the ride in order that they get to experience this Disney rite of passage.

Truth be told, it was kind of nice. Anytime I see something from my past - through the fresh eyes of my young son - I always find a whole new appreciation for it. (If you are not familiar with the ride, you can check it out here). Meaghan, on the other hand, as a 12-year old, fully appreciated that the ride was as boring, cutesy and freakish as I described it. And Halis, well, he had a few good laughs at my annoyance with the endless rounds of the "It's a Small World" theme song being sung by every puppet and played by every speaker ... from every corner of the ride ... from the time you enter the line until you exit the whole ordeal. (Watch this just once and you'll feel my pain).

ANYWAY, the reason I even mention this ride has very little to do with the ride at all. Rather, the ride is a preamble to my intended topic ... a lovely e-mail I received from Belle. Yes, BELLE ... THE Belle of Disney fame ... and the young woman who made such an impression on my son during our Disney World vacation. It seems that she discovered the picture I posted on Flickr of her visit with Isaac ... and it led her to my blog post regarding the brief but magical moments that she and Isaac shared ... and that led her to e-mail us the sweetest message. I was beaming when I read it. How wonderful that we live in such a "small world" where we are able to use internet technologies in order to create and/or nurture both old friendships and new encounters.

Thank you "Belle" ... for your love and kindness toward my son, for the joy you bring to so many, and for the generosity you extended in your e-mail to us. I truly hope that we will be able to see you again soon. I will e-mail you when we are ready to visit again! (How many people can say that they have a direct connection to Belle?).

So - what the whole of this post is driving at --- is that it really is a "small world after all". And though I may not be a big fan of the ride, I am a huge fan of the sentiments expressed in the lyrics of the song: "There's so much that we share - that it's time we're aware, it's a small world after all."

Thanks for sharing with us "Belle" --- the impact that we all have on one another can be so great --- we humans are so interdependent and have such a capacity to bring such joy to one another. Isn't that wonderful?

Love,

Jodi