When The Magic Isn’t Enough

We recently returned from a family vacation to the one and only, fairy-tale-perfect and wonderfully magical place on earth, DisneyWorld. After saving for several years before having to cancel our trip in 2020, the anticipation for our long-awaited adventure was oozing out of our family’s every microscopic pore. I meticulously planned and scrupulously arranged every detail months in advance. Everything was set and as long as everyone stayed healthy, we were destined to have the best time. Only problem was I mistakenly booked our trip so that we were visiting six amusement parks in six days and on the seventh day we were catching a 9 AM flight back home to California. Not a problem. We’ll be fine. Right?

And so the magical experience began. It wasn’t long into our trip that I began noticing it. It wasn’t obvious initially. They seemed like one-offs at first. But little by little I saw the warning signs. Family by family was falling victim. Preying on those with little ones first, its attacks were quick but calculated. Those without kids weren’t safe either though. The Theme Park Villain was using fatigue, incomprehensible boredom that can come only from standing in line hour after hour, dehydration, hunger (because who has time to eat when you have another line to get to), and even physical pain to turn family members against each other. Frustration and irritability translate in every language and every accent. To my left a boy getting smacked on his head by his grandmother. To my right a wife asking her husband for an apology. Ahead of me a toddler melting into the asphalt. Behind me a teenager rolling her eyes into the sky at her mom.

I armed myself for battle. I refused to yield to the villains threatening to rob us of the picture-perfect vacation. Our family was going to have the magical memories we were promised! 72 hours and many aching feet later, my soul was weakening. I felt my shoulders getting tense, my jaw tightening, my thoughts swirling. I’ll ignore it all. But just as I couldn’t ignore my aching feet, my heart was signaling it was time to slow down emotionally and spiritually. I knew I wanted our family to have a memorable, fun time together. I refused to let what was supposed to be a great time together turn into bitter memories, but I also knew the threats and temptations were real. I was relieved when Hubby decided we needed to talk. A few insoles, apologies, and prayers later we were ready for the magic to continue.

Sometimes our circumstances and blessings can be so good that any perceived negativity is unwelcome. I want to live in the real-life fairy tale where everyone lives happily ever after. Every fairy tale however has a villain or some conflict. The magic isn’t always enough. Sometimes the magic is in facing the threats and defeating the villains. I desperately wanted to avoid any disagreements during our vacation. I ignored any potentially unpleasant feelings or interactions. By doing so I was robbing our family from having a true memorable and magical experience. The magic that comes from honesty, freely forgiving, displaying patience and sharing unconditional love.

We did truly have a magical time. On a bigger scale I walked away reflecting on how much I desire the seemingly comfortable, convenient and charming (don’t we all?), but how much I also need the seemingly uncomfortable, inconvenient and unattractive to draw me closer to God and others. Sometimes we hold on so tight to the idealized life and circumstances that we can fail to recognize how to fit ourselves into what’s in front of us so we can experience the potential good God has before us. What about you? What “magic” are you missing out on?