Childlike Faith

We stood watching the Main Street Disneyland Parade, where the story book characters came to life on the street. We wanted to see enough of it to feel like we'd seen it and then run to the next ride while the lines were shorter.
A little girl behind us was a much more dedicated fan. She sat quietly on her mom's shoulders, waiting. Floats came and went and not a sound was heard from her. Until two specific floats came into view. First, Alice in Wonderland. And the little girl cried out with all the passion that can be contained in a 6 year old body, "Alicia, Alicia!" (I think she was speaking French...Jon thinks Spanish). It was a desperate cry--a cry that said "if only Alice would look my way, if only she would wave at me, my life would be complete." Once Alice and her friends passed by, our little friend was quiet again...until The Little Mermaid float came by. "Ariel, Ariel!" Again, a desperate, pleading cry.

Not long after that, Jon and I slipped out of the parade crowds to find another ride...Snow White's Scary Adventure...which, by the way, is a little creepy.

Every now and then one of us will call out "Alicia, Alicia" in memory of our parade friend. And when we do, I smile--because it reminds me of her unbridled passion for her heroines, her hope that they might see her, and her belief that if they did, it would make all the difference.

Oh to have that faith.