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

Jodi Renshaw

About Jodi Renshaw

Jodi is a homeschooling Mom, a photographer, a wife, and a proud resident of the city of Bangor. She spends part of her time working at a locally-owned shop in the downtown area, part of her time homeschooling her favorite young man, and most of her time behind a camera lens. She often writes about adoption, family life, homeschooling, and community.