Hope Through Adversity

“All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” ~ Walt Disney

If you’ve spent more than 2 minutes with me, you’re probably aware that I love Disney. Whether it’s my vast Disney wardrobe or the fact that I can connect any conversation with a Disney quote, it becomes clear pretty quickly that I’m a Disney fanatic. For many people, Disney is a kiddish way to spend 90 minutes every time a new movie comes out. They enjoy the film and move on with their lives, likely forgetting about Disney until the next movie trailer is released. Who has time to think about Disney in the middle of the busy, hectic realities of adulthood?

Me. Let me tell you why.

For me, Disney is so much more than a catchy song, a family vacation, or a quick trip to the movie theater. Disney embodies imagination, adventure, and the belief that there’s a “great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day.” When the realities of life nearly knock me down, there’s a soft, Mickey Mouse-shaped pillow to catch my fall (or at least soften the blow).

Disney was created on the cornerstones of dreaming and believing. It’s there to remind us that no matter our current situation, tomorrow holds new hope. Disney not only encourages us to believe in the power of our dreams, but empowers us to chase them. As the Happily Ever After fireworks show so perfectly states, “You are the key to unlocking your own magic. Now go. Let your dreams guide you.” Whether it’s Cinderella reminding me that nobody can “order me to stop dreaming,” Mulan teaching me that with adversity blooms beauty, or Remy prompting me to shift my focus from my past to my future, Disney consistently proves itself to be more than just fun and fanfare. Beneath the upbeat music and beautiful animation is a core lesson and the encouragement that I can control my own destiny. No matter how difficult life gets, I have the power to find my own “happily ever after.”

As everybody has, I’ve had a healthy scoop of adversity in my life. Growing up, my mother was very sick.
For nearly a decade, I had to watch her fight for her life. We had many hospital sleepovers and lonely nights before my mother was healthy enough to spend any significant time outside of the hospital. During this time, I also watched my father struggle with an addiction that held on with a strong grip. Eventually, the autoimmune struggles that I watched nearly take my mother found it’s way to me. Diagnosed at the age of 17, Guillain Barre, an autoimmune neuromuscular disease, wrecked my world. I went from being a college-scholarship soccer player to being wheelchair-bound within a month. With this came years of treatments, physical therapy, and medication to get my body to function even close to how a healthy body should. To this day, I still struggle with the physical impact this disease has had on my body. I say all of this not to invoke pity or sadness, but rather because I believe that every person reading this can find some commonalities between my story and their own. Everyone has faced hardships in life. Many of which I can relate with and many of which are beyond my life experience.

“What does this have to do with Disney?” you may ask. For me, Disney has consistently been a close friend. Someone to hold me in my sadness and show me the hope that remains in the world, even in the midst of life-shattering pain. My intent in this is not to push you to watch a Disney movie or book your next trip to Walt Disney World, but rather to encourage you to find your “Disney.” What is it that brings you joy? What simple pleasure can you turn to as a way to lift your spirits when adversity comes your way? Life is hard, and misfortune is often unavoidable. Find what makes your spirit soar, even when extra weight is added to your shoulders. Discover what it is that empowers you to chase your dreams and hold onto hope.

Maybe your “Disney” is Disney, or perhaps something completely different. Whatever it is, find it and hold onto it tightly. You never know when you may need it most.

~Chloe Clark

                                              Chloe and Chewbacca

                                              Chloe with dad, Tim...

                                             Chloe with Hubby, Hayden

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