Disney April 2026 – Day 5 – Final Thoughts

Dear Liza Jean and James,

As we left Orlando and headed home, there were several things I will always remember about this trip. And many had nothing to do directly with Disney – licking your paintbrushes while painting your Ostrich Egg; running down the hall to our hotel elevator to push the buttons; how much you loved soft serve ice cream; eating apples like they were your favorite thing in the world; and Liza Jean singing “Everybody Knows I’m a Copperhead, a Copperhead, a Copperhead” again and again.

In addition to those memories that bring a smile to my face, I want the feeling I had during our trip to stay with me. Each night as we were falling asleep, I would sometimes play Disney Classic Songs.  “Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book would always pop up.  And like many Disney songs, it contains a deeper message.  And I realized that many Disney movies have themes that mirror some of my own thoughts about what is important in life. If I live long enough, the two of you will hear me talk about three things that everyone craves – connection with others, purpose and agency. 

Agency is another word for the freedom to choose for yourself. “Let It Go” from Frozen, a favorite movie for both of you, “Belle” from Beauty and the Beast, and “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid, all have main characters who assert their agency.  Liza Jean, even your favorite character Rapunzel articulates this in “I see the Light” when she realizes her own dream was stolen and now wants things for herself. And almost every song in the Disney movie Encanto is about a character wrestling with whether they get to define themselves or accept the role their family and society has assigned them.

Our purpose is why we exist.  And Disney Movies like Moana, Encanto, Coco, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Hercules all have purpose as central themes. Mulan, another one of my favorite Disney Movies, encapsulates this theme in the song “Reflection”.  She cannot reconcile who she is with the purpose society has prescribed for her. But it is my favorite Disney Song of all time, “Be Our Guest” that is all about purpose.  And it even goes so far to assert that the highest purpose in life is to serve others.

Even though purpose and agency are important, social connection or a sense of belonging is by far the most important thing we all crave. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Toy Story) is about loyalty and friendship. “Circle of Life” (The Lion King) is about every living thing being bound together in an unbroken chain of mutual dependence. “Part of Your World” (The Little Mermaid) is about belonging in a world that feels like home. “Reflection” (Mulan) is about feeling unseen by the people closest to you and feeling isolated. “Remember Me” (Coco) goes even further offering connection even after we die.

But this is where I go back to “Bare Necessities” from the Jungle Book.  Both Baloo, the Bear, and Mowgli, the orphaned human, develop an unpretentious companionship that is truly an emotional connection, and even love, without any condition. But even more importantly, I realized that one of the reasons that my five days with the two of you was truly remarkable was because I somehow forgot about the conflicts, cares and responsibilities of the world and entered your world of enchantment, wonder and being in the moment. And “Bare Necessities”, a profound little song tucked inside a children’s movie — essentially makes a case for mindfulness and anti-materialism, delivered by a dancing bear.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The song asserts that it’s the simple, essential things in nature that bring joy.  And if you stop chasing after things you don’t need and just relax, nature will provide everything you truly require.  However, the deeper message is about letting go of worry and greed and finding contentment in simplicity and in others.  And that is what this vacation did for me.

James, I went back and read that letter that I wrote to you when you were six months old. It contained the following passage.

“After you returned to Boston, I realized that I had not actually spent a lot of time directly with you, or your mom and dad.  You see, you have lots of Donovan relatives in Charlottesville who want to spend time with you too.  And Davis and Bridget have other friends that they wanted to spend time with while at the Lake House.  However, because you were close, I still felt close and connected.  So, I started thinking about this and the word “Proximity” popped into my head. Here is the definition – nearness in space, time or relationship. So, proximity seems to sum up what we, even introverts, crave.  Maybe, especially introverts.”

And I included the following poem, that I had written, with the letter.

Proximity 3.23.21

I cannot always touch you
Or see you or hear you
Yet we share 
the same space

We are at times apart
Yet our time together 
Is the thing that creates
The tie that binds

Our relationship 
Ebbs and flows
But never too far
Does it stray

This nearness in space
This nearness in time
Creates the proximity 
And relationship I crave 

I will aways be with you.

Papa J