Love in the Disney Store

Recently my 9 year-old son's lacrosse coach was teasing him about having a girlfriend, to which Sean immediately protested that he does NOT! While many fathers joke about not being able to deal with their daughters dating (I am one such father), the idea of my son starting to develop crushes, eventually dating, falling in love, is all a bit much to wrap my head around. I was reminded of something that happened years ago when he was little. The following story took place on April 22, 2010 - Earth Day. I know that because I took my son, just over 3 at the time to the Disney Store where we turned in aluminum cans for a free hat.

Back then my son and I had a tradition. Once a month we’d drive up to Woodfield Mall for lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. After we ate, we of course went upstairs to the Disney Store to nose around. Sean would always make a beeline for the Cars section and tell me we needed to buy EVERYTHING!

After a few minutes I’d convince him that we couldn't buy everything “this time” and he’d accept that and move on, always to the two displays near the checkout counter. Every Disney store has them. Essentially two point-of-sale "junk" towers meant to trick us parents into spending another $3 - $5 bucks before we leave. They're full of balls, wind-up toys, key chains, etc.

One side geared toward little girls, housing mostly Princess merchandise. The other tower held the more traditionally boy-centric stuff. Sean would spend hours there, if he could. Taking out each little toy, pulling the cars back and letting them race across the store, oblivious to the many reasons he shouldn't.

One afternoon as I stood there leaning on my empty stroller (Sean could walk of course, but that was the problem – he had a tendency to wander off) I happened to look up and see a mom around my age also piloting an empty stroller. Actually in hers sat a pile of shopping bags. I looked over to the girls' toy tower, and there was this little Princess. Literally, a little brunette toddler dressed in a puffy turquoise dress and slippers. She was twirling absently around the store, smiling and singing to herself.

And it turned out I wasn't the only one who noticed. I glanced over at Sean, who moments before was on his knees engrossed in every kind of plastic Buzz Lightyear, Handy Manny, and Stitch he could find. Now he was on his feet, fingers in his mouth, grinning with wide-eyed wonder at this little girl.

A new music video began to play on the large screen at the back of the store. The song, I would learn was "When I Look At You" by Miley Cyrus (back before she officially assassinated her wholesome, Hannah Montana persona.)  

Go ahead, press play. You know you want to.

The little Princess began to dance circles around my son. His big brown eyes never fell away. I’d never seen him like this. The girl stopped in front of him as the music played and said "I'm Princess Ariel, and you're Prince Erik."

The mother and I looked up at each other and smiled. I don't know which of us had the glossiest set of eyes at that moment.

She danced around Sean again, and he just kind of swayed to the music a little. When he was little like that he was seldom afraid to dance if the mood hit him, but in that moment it was like he was discovering something new. He wasn't sure what it what it was, but he definitely seemed to like it. His smile made that apparent. Again she said, but this time directly to me, "I'm Princess Ariel and he's Prince Erik."

I found myself actually speechless. And to be honest, on the verge of getting emotional. It wouldn't do for a grown man to come to tears in the Disney Store.

Finally the song ended and the girl and her mother moved on, but I caught both kids stealing glances at each other as we made our way around the store. I wasn’t sure if they were just kids being kids, or if those two little ones had formed an spontaneous, innocent bond.

It was a strange moment where I felt like I should do something. But what do you do? Ask for a strange, married woman's number so your kids can have a play date . . . or we can set them up in 13 years? That’s not creepy at all, no matter how innocent the intentions.

The truth is there was nothing to do. It was just one of those moments – a beautiful moment of childhood innocence between two sweet souls. Few and far between, they are, but when we are given them we're meant to just step back and take it in.

For a few minutes, my son had the perfect relationship. The purest love there ever was or will be.

I vowed to remember that day, and when he's old enough, tell him about it, as I’m sure he doesn’t remember. I think it impacted me more than him. He'll probably tell me I'm crazy, but I hope he finds it. Not too soon, of course.