Thankfulness... continued

Continuing with the November Thankfulness posts...

 

Day 4

I am Thankful for big, audacious, out-of-this-world dreams -

and the people who dream them

and the people who make them REAL.

Dreams are a part of my family history. 

It's a history that involves a mouse. Yes, THAT Mouse.

Back when Disneyland was new, 

my Grandpa Ward was one of the union electricians contracted to build new attractions.

He was one of the leads when 'It's A Small World' was installed in the park in 1966.

[having been transported from the 1964 New York World's Fair]

 I grew up hearing my Grandpa tell me that he built that 'ride' for ME.
He wasn't lying to a little redheaded girl, 

because every day when he worked on that attraction, 

and the iconic Sherman Brothers' title song was played ad infinitum 

while the audio-animatronic figures were being synced to the sound track,

[oh, how he loathed that song]

he was thinking about ME and how much I was going to love those little 'dolls' 

and the song and the boats and the clock and the happy colors...

and how much, someday, MY children and my GRANDchildren would love it, too.

So yes, he built it FOR me - to enjoy, and to be proud of.

My grandpa's dream was that I would always enjoy what he had created for me.
I will never forget the day that he first took me by the hand, 

led me into a little floating gondola boat, sat beside me, 

and looked at me with love and joy and a sparkle in his eye

as he watched four-year-old little Debby become enchanted by the magic of It's A Small World - 

he watched his Dream come true.

He never saw my children and my grandchildren, 

but someday, when I am finally there with all of them at the same time, he'll be there, too.
It's his legacy to them.

Walt Disney is a man who dreamed big, audacious dreams...

Dreams that no one would support or fund. Dreams that almost ruined him.
Dreams that were bigger than 'a business' or 'a product', 

and reached into the realm of stratospheric change.

Some people call those 'Pie in the Sky' Dreams.

I guess Walt had the last laugh there...

because the only thing that ended up in the sky 

are the fireworks that elicit awed reactions over his legacy every night
over Disney amusement parks all around the world.

He made his dreams REAL.
In the process, he gave other people the chance to dream big WITH him.
One of Walt's most famous quotes is
"You can design and create the most wonderful place in the world.
But it takes people to make the Dream a reality."
My grandpa was one of those people. 

So was my uncle, 

who helped to build the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

And because my relatives saw Walt's Dream become real,

HELPED HIM MAKE THEM REAL, 

and they shared their stories with me,

I've always known that big audacious out-of-this-world dreams

can come TRUE.
It's not a fairy tale. It can be REAL.

I've had some of my own dreams come true.
And I've had some crash and burn pretty badly.
That won't EVER stop me from continuing to dream...
because it's in my blood, right there with the Pixie Dust.
and one day, my dearest greatest biggest dream will come true

right there in Fantasyland, Disneyland, USA.

Thank you, Grandpa Ward.
Thank you, Uncle Don.
Thank you, 'Uncle Walt'.

______________________________


Day 5

I am Thankful for Creativity...

My mom jokes that I was born with crayons in my hand.
All of my life, I have been drawing and sketching and making things.
For as long as I can remember, I have had a very active imagination 
and can get lost in the creative process - the FLOW - of art of any kind.
I've been given a creative spirit, 
and it is only when living in harmony with that spirit that I feel like 
I am the 'me' that I was created to be.

I've struggled with my creativity and artistic ability many times in my life,
feeling like it isn't as 'important' as the skills that others have.
I'm not a surgeon, or a scientist, or a preacher.
Let's face it, I'm not saving lives by making pumpkins out of old sweaters.

But then I realized
that not everything God created has a serious 'life saving' purpose, either...
there are some plants and flowers and animals
that really are fantastical and whimsical
[Duck-billed platypus, anyone?!]
and all they do is to make us smile and think 'That's amazing!'

Life would be terribly sad without music and paintings and statues
and gardens and elaborate architecture and plays and stories...
all the products of creative minds and skillful hands.

They DO make life better! 

I believe that our creative talents come directly from OUR Creator, God, 
and can be shared to make life a little better for others...

I am Thankful to be given that opportunity
_____________________________________

Day 6

zI am Thankful for Rebel Pride!

I am thankful that I stumbled upon something that became such a passion and a joy in my life... that my friend Libbie Meyers somehow talked me into going to tryouts with her! 
I am thankful that for ONCE in my life, I was good at something physical and made the cut.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect, because I landed in the Savanna 'Tall Flags' corps when Connie Hart was our captain, and Don Gunderson was our band director. 
I am grateful for the lessons I learned, the skill I sharpened, 
and the sense of being a part of something REALLY BIG and REALLY AMAZING!

I am thankful for Mister G's jokes ('Tank Tank Tank' , 'Hi Mom!', and more....) 
and his love for and pride IN us. 
The lessons I learned from him and from being part of the Mighty Marching Rebels 
are some of the most important ones in my life.

Since 1977, I've been a performer, a coach, a program director, a guard mom, and a guard fan.
I've marched forward as a performer, backward as a coach, and my feet have moved with the cadence 
as I have watched my own children perform on fields, streets, courts, and at WGI Championships. 
Pageantry / ColorGuard has become part of my legacy to my family, 
and I am proud that I could share this with them...

To sit in the stands tonight and watch Savanna perform a STUNNING show 
that lives up to the legacy that so many of us were part of is an INCREDIBLE feeling... 
and I am so thankful that I still have pride in what we did, 
and what Savanna continues to do on a field! 

BRAVO, Rebels...

PS: Sophomore year. 2nd row from the bottom, 5th 'flag chick' from the left. ;)