Last week the Bunk clan rolled through the happiest place on earth.Maddy’s 4th birthday would be spent celebrating at the house the mouse built.
Of course, high on the checklist of to-dos was getting our picture taken with Minnie and her boyfriend Mickey.
Pretty quickly, we headed back to ToonTown and got to queuing.
Maddy was excited, her brother was sleeping (what a dud) and Wifey and I were ready to digitally capture all of our little girl’s giddiness to relive over and over (most likely after she moves out and we just cry for our lost youth).
We were brought into “the meeting room” where we waited behind a few other people for our turn.
That’s when it happened. As we were spinning to get the cameras ready, pushing the stroller in, asking Maddy how excited she was… I noticed the group who was meeting with Mickey and Minnie in front of us.
It was two parents there with someone who was obviously their son. They were probably in their late 60’s if not 70’s. Their son was a middle-aged man who clearly had some type of mental handicap.
What hit me like a frying pan was the smile on his face. Just beaming. Just pure happy. His parents… so happy. Then click, click, click… picture, picture, picture… and they were out the door.
I, a total stranger, stood their sharing their moment.
I started to cry.
I know why Walt did it. Why he built this whole place. Why he created characters and dreamed the way he did. Because everyone deserves to smile. Everyone deserves to forget about their sometimes trying situation and just be happy.
Certain people work harder to facilitate those happy moments for others.
Walt might have worked the hardest.
