Magic
The Peek Perspective on BYOM (Bringing Your Own Magic)
They say Disney World is the most magical place on earth…I say magic is wherever you choose to make it. So often, in life you have to BYOM. (Bring your own magic.)
This week, our family embarked on our girls’ first ever Disney adventure. It’s something they have been anticipating for a very long time, and my husband and I have been planning for almost as long. We delighted in surprising them a few weeks ago when we finally revealed our plans.
All of their friends (and grown ups too) have been telling them how absolutely Magical it is. Those friends aren’t wrong, but they left out an important key point… YOU have to choose to bring the magic too.
Thankfully, our girls learned that on day 1 of our trip.
We were on a shuttle from the resort where we are staying, headed to our first Disney park. Early wake up call, check. Matching Minnie shirts, check. Very excited kids, check check check.
Suddenly, while cruising down the freeway, the bus driver muttered, “oh my GOODNESS, are you SERIOUS?!” At first, I thought he was referring to the rush hour traffic we were in, but I quickly realized I no longer heard the sound of the motor. The engine had spontaneously cut out, and we were coasting to a stop. In 3 lanes of traffic.
By the grace of God, he was somehow able to steer us off to a safe place on the shoulder. The look on my girls’ face was one of shock, confusion, and immediate disappointment. This was supposed to be a magical day, after all, right?! We were headed to the very place they’d been anticipating for years. Now we were stuck on a bus on the side of a busy highway for an unknown amount of time, while awaiting a ride.
Our driver, clearly discouraged, explained the situation and the next steps he had taken to ensure our safety and call for a rescue ride. Then he came back and sat down in a passenger seat, shaking his head in disbelief. So, we asked his name, where he was from, and about his family. He began to share some of his story with us.
Our driver grieved the fact that his own kids never came to visit, but he was able to laugh at these 3 tough little girls in their matching pigtails (and joked that he was terrified of getting in their way of meeting Minnie).
At least half an hour flew by as we took funny photo ops and swapped stories… (this could have been worse, we reassured him… once, while in Peru on winding mountain roads, our bus’s clutch went out. Another guy literally pulled up the floor board, laid on his stomach, and reached down to manually shift the gears under the bus… see?! It can always be worse… #truestory)
During this time, I noticed our girls’ previously tense demeanors began to shift too. They had just started to pretend they were airline stewardesses on an airplane (taking “drink orders” up and down the bus aisle), when our rescue arrived and we were headed to the actual magical kingdom. Relieved to be on our way at last, we blessed our driver and thanked him for his service.
He almost seemed shocked that we hadn’t yelled, blamed, or made demands of him. Instead, we saw a chance to find humor and opportunity in an unexpected circumstance.
He didn’t need someone to tell him how this situation had ruined their trip itinerary or disappointed their children. He didn’t need to be reminded that his days were devoted to hauling people around who had the ability to afford luxury vacations. He needed to feel seen, appreciated, and valued. Even in a broken down bus on the side of the highway.
This week, I hope our girls remember the magic of finally getting to meet their favorite Disney characters, experiencing the thrill of all the rides, and delighting in magical fireworks. I hope they remember our family vacation time away together, making great memories.
But I also hope they remember the chance they had to bring the magic when our bus broke down that day. When things didn’t go our way, when we could have blamed someone else, when we didn’t get what we wanted… I hope they remember that we always have the choice to respond with kindness and to look for God’s grace and purpose within the situation (even though we can “both/ and” acknowledge our disappointment).
I hope they remember that the magic isn’t in grand gestures or constantly fulfilled expectations … and that we don’t have to wait for the magic to come to us. So often, the magic happens in the mundane everyday, unexpected moments. It happens when we step out of our comfort zones, show up, and bring the magic for someone else. ✨
Wherever you go, believe in the magic of life. But don’t wait for the magic to come to you…
BYOM,
Leigh