Story Orbit Films » Disneyland

Mom!!

Amelia — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 19:09:10 +0000

Yesterday, I asked you all for a really big favor – to convince Mom to head down to Anaheim before she returns home, so she can see with her own eyes the message that all of you Optimists have uncovered. And just now, I found this in the comment section of my last blog post:

And you know what the oddest thing about this situation is? That I had no doubt in the world you all would be able to connect with her in a way I couldn’t do alone. I read your comments over and over and over and realized that all she had to do was read just one sentence of any comment, and you would change her heart. And that’s what you did. I know this because Mom and I just talked over the phone. She’s going to go to Anaheim tonight! She is still a bit uncertain what this is all about, but I believe she’s finally ready to listen. And you made that happen in a way that I feel only family could.

So, since you are family, I wanted to share with you. Because Mom has such a tiny window of time, she plans to head straight from her conference to Main Street Cinema in Disneyland to view “the message.” She expects to be there sometime between 9:00 and 9:30pm. She just purchased her ticket to Disneyland, but she will need a ticket from the Lily Belle to trigger “the message.” Can I count on some of you to meet her at the Main Street Cinema with one of those tickets? Maybe you even join her to help her understand the meaning of everything that has happened.

I know you will all be wonderful to Mom. She’ll be a little out of her element, and she could use all the warm welcomes from friendly optimists she can get. Together, I believe you will be able to convince her what Grandpa was up to and that it was all to build a better future. For her. And for all of us.

Thank you. I will never forget what you did for me and my family. Our family.

Help Please

Amelia — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 22:50:19 +0000

All right, everybody…

I need your help. After seeing the amazing things that all of my Twitter friends discovered today at Disneyland, I really think I need to convince Mom to go to Anaheim. She needs to see it for herself. I’ve tried calling, texting, and emailing her since before she left, and she hasn’t answered back. Since I’ve been unsuccessful so far, I now believe that I can’t do this alone. Can you all please tell her for me, from your heart, in your words, why everything we’ve found is important? Not just important to us. But to her. Hopefully we can get her to find time to make the trek down to Anaheim before she flies back on Saturday night. Every so often, I’ll email her the link to this post, hoping hoping hoping that she’ll open it. Fingers crossed.

You have no idea how much this will mean to me.

And Mom, if you’re reading this…

There is something YOU have to know. It is important to me to learn more about Grandpa. I also want to share this discovery with you. When I try to share with you what I have learned about Grandpa, I feel sad and confused when you don’t give me the time and space to share. I hope you will hear me out, and I promise to give you the space to respond, or not if you choose. He will always be part of my life, and I thank you for respecting that. If it is important to you that I not talk about him in this way, please tell me.

But FIRST, I need one thing from you. I need you to travel down to Anaheim to go to Disneyland. My friends have uncovered something that will make everything I’ve been trying to tell you clear. So please, please, please. Trust me on this, and get back to me. And if you have any uncertainty, I ask you to read what my dear friends have to say below.

I love you.

-Amelia (with help from my friend Geren…a lot of help)

It All Started With a Bench

Amelia — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 06:04:45 +0000

It’s been a busy week at school. I’ve been up late working on a big team project that is due this Monday (eek!), and it’s gotten me thinking a lot about advice Grandpa used to give me. When I was a kid, I played on a soccer team. And. I. Loved. It. I was the fastest one out there and I was darn proud of it. After every goal I made, I used to do my special cartwheel celebration. Then one day, my grandpa pulled me aside and gently told me the true secret to winning. Working together. As a team. It took me a little while to fully understand how much more powerful and rewarding it was to play together as a team, but win or lose, we’d all do it together. And soon, we were all doing cartwheel celebrations at the end of matches.

I keep thinking of that as I’ve been watching all of you for the past week. You all are amazing at working together. And today was a perfect example.

As all of you know, we have been eagerly awaiting the final location on Wallace’s Walt’s Haunts map – the Bench!

The bench where it all began!

I was so excited to see where this iconic bench would lead today. I will let my fellow optimists share their journey. I know Grandpa would be so proud of everything we are discovering – together.

I, for one, am doing cartwheels!