photo credit: Ami B-E
Person #1: My life is so stressful! I have 4 kids, a dog, the laundry pile in my home has now been deemed the 8th wonder of the world and called Mt. Washmore. This wouldn’t be so bad except that my back is killing me all the time!
Person #2: Tell me about it! My 5 kids drive me crazy! My 4 cats have taken it upon themselves to rip my house to shreds. I can’t keep up with anything anymore! I need a nap!
Person #1: Well my 3 kids FEEL like 6!
This is how it goes, isn’t? One person starts complaining and it becomes a regular “my life is worse” one-uping competition! Misery loves company, and I dare say that especially in times such as we live today, with economic hardships and war, it is difficult to embrace the joy without guilt.
“Friends love misery, in fact. Sometimes, especially if we are too lucky or too successful or too pretty, our misery is the only thing that endears us to our friends”. - Erica Jong
It seems so frivolous to seek joy in a Disney vacation or a night out at the movies when we have troops in Afghanistan or a family loosing a home to foreclosure doesn’t it? This is something I have struggled with. I can’t understand why I have been blessed with Disney in my life- that beacon of joy- when so many others are in such dire circumstances!
‘The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.” - Martha Washington
Is it truly a blessing or is it, in fact, disposition? I suppose I can’t really answer that. Maybe it’s even both. The fact of the matter is, I have been blessed with Disney! My disposition is also as such that I thrive on the delight it brings me! When I am not able to be at a Disney Resort, a DVD player and my favorite movies or even the free vacation planning DVD has blessed me! Blessings come by way recipes that I can easily find on ALLEARS.NET, Enchanted Recipes or in Disney cookbooks.
All these things create joy!
Now those of us who are the keepers of the joy, isn’t it good stewardship to share it? Misery may love company, but surely bliss is infectious too!
“To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America… with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” –Walt Disney
In my opinion, troubled times are an even better reason to seek out Disney magic. It may be the only light a family has in an otherwise darkened existence. Why wallow in that?
Contributed by: Ami B. (NDM#381) Ami is the DDL Ethics and Marriage Blogger. She is also the creator of Disney Goddess.
Princess Ami grew up going to Disney World when it was young and very small in comparison to today. It was a “World” that spanned only the Magic Kingdom resort area and the E-ticket was king! Disney World grew and Ami did with it, savoring every moment and change. Now that they are both knocking on 40, Magic Kingdom does its Disney magic with 3 more parks. It’s probably not a coincidence that Ami now experiences that new magic with 3 more princesses in tow. The girls are growing up addicted to the magic just as their mom did. Married to Prince Scott, Ami is gradually converting him over to the pixie dusted side! In addition to writing Disney infused blogs like www.disneyparkgoddess.blogspot.com and www.faithtrustandpixiedusted.blogspot.com, Ami is a singer in her Virginia church’s contemporary praise band and a self-proclaimed foodie.
