The Gift of A Memory - www.baileythompson.ca

“Here you go” I heard my grandfather’s deep voice say.

I looked up at him and he handed me a small notebook. He smiled at me as though he was handing me magic or a secret and left to give some to my cousins. In wonder, I flipped through the thin pages of the tiny notebook, but found nothing unusual, it was just a notebook, nothing special about it. But I wasn’t disappointed. It was Christmas, and my Grandpa was known for handing out tiny gifts to everyone.

I could hear my older cousin screaming from across the room. Although I couldn’t quite make out what she was saying, she sure did sound excited. I giggled to my self about how over worked up she got. I figured she was probably just doing it to impress my grandfather.

Then again, did he really expect that kind of reaction over a notebook? She was still going on and on a few minutes later and I couldn’t quite figure out what was so exciting, or what she was saying.

Instinct told me to flip the tiny notebook over. As I did, I realized just why she was excited and felt the excitement bubble up inside me.

There was a thin, rectangular piece of paper taped on the back. With a closer glance, I saw the words that solved the mystery, “Have a nice time at Disney,” it said in my grandfather’s squiggly handwriting.

It didn’t take long for me to clue in; we were going to Walt Disney World in Florida. All 20 of us; my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and of course, my family.

It was a long wait for the week long vacation I’d only ever dreamed of. It was four months of planning, getting more excited and spending even more time together. Those 4 months seemed to really bring the family together. For the first time ever, we all had something completely in common to talk about and anticipate.

By the middle of March, we all had the countdown going and the excitement flowing. It was like one big large roller coaster, we started at the bottom, completely unaware of what was coming. As we started going up the hill and towards the drop, we had the excitement coming and we were getting ready for the fun. Finally, we’d hit the top and were ready to begin the real fun and new experiences.

On the night before departure, the excitement was too much to fall asleep. I lay awake in bed, constantly running upstairs to find something else to do and pass the time. Finally, by 12:00 PM, I fell asleep on the living room couch, opposite the one my sister was sleeping on. At 2 AM, my mom shook me awake. For a split second, I was considering asking her what she thought she was doing. But suddenly I remembered, my eyes opened wide and I jumped out of a deep sleep, faster than I’d even woken up before.

At 3 AM, I looked out the car window and watched my house pass. The night was quiet and warm, and there was no one to be seen on the streets. Very few cars passed us as we drove the hour towards the air port.

When we arrived, we were greeted by our other excited cousins and my uncle, who looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep, but had the attitude of an excited kid, waiting for the trip of a lifetime. The trip was planned to be just that; the trip of a lifetime.

By 6 that morning, we’d made our way through security and were sitting on the plane. The flight attendants went through the routine instruction, and the plane took off. I nervously glanced around the plane at the rest of the passengers, who were all sitting there calmly. For a moment, I felt nervous over my first plane ride, but within seconds the feeling of nervousness was replaced with that of excitement.

Although I’d realized how much I enjoyed the plane ride, that didn’t stop me from questioning how long it would be until we got there. My Dad answered my question each time, beginning to get annoyed with how many times I asked.

The final landing was far from smooth, but I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t been told. I walked off the plane, amazed by how warm the weather in Florida was. Back at home, it hadn’t quite been warm!

Let’s skip past the part I found out my luggage had not been transported and was still in Toronto.

Arriving at the Fort Wilderness Cabins, what we’d call home for the next week, I felt a sense of comfort and amazement. The cabins were beautifully furnished and spotlessly cleaned.

Everyone threw down their luggage as I walked in empty handed.

The week went by more quickly than I would have wanted. Each day was filled with new experiences, more bonding and unforgettable memories!

When the time came to head home, we were ready. Not because we didn’t want to stay longer, but because the memories we made would last forever, and that’s what mattered.

As I look back on it now, almost three years later, I can remember being together. It’s not the places we went to, or the things we bought, it’s the memories I remember.

I can still remember realizing that I had no luggage – and most of all, I had no clothes! Since it had been cooler temperatures back at home, I’d warn pants… But arriving in Florida, you’d never know how much I wanted shorts! I can never thank my cousin enough for lending me a pair of his shorts! Those shorts definitely saved me from burning up on those warmer days!

And the time my two-year-old cousin fell asleep while eating ribs, but continued eating them in his sleep because they tasted so good!

What about the time that my sister and I pushed my dad under a waterfall that he had specifically told us to steer him clear of when we were floating in tubes down the lazy river.

And, the time we went down the 150 meter drop, Splash Mountain. I never would have anticipated the amazing feeling that would come over me, making me want to do it over and over again or the look on my aunts face, who hid her fear with her hat that was on it’s way of flying off her head anyways.

I can still remember the night we all brought out sparklers in front of the cabins. Grandpa, who was already in his PJ’s, came running out to join the fun. I don’t think he anticipated the laughter when he walked outside the cabin. I can remember writing a message with my sparkler that no one ever saw. It said, “I love you”.

I can remember loosing my sister’s favorite hat, that she let me borrow because I had nothing else. I can remember the annoyance in her voice when I told her, but I can also remember her promising to make me buy her a new one. I did, she likes it more than the one I lost!

I remember bothering my Dad by day to let me use his computer. Why? I wanted to e-mail my friends to tell them how much fun I was having! When he finally let me, I sent them a long e-mail sure to make them jealous. That wasn’t the intention though, I was just excited. One of them replied to tell me that we had the first sunny day back at home… better yet, the boy I’d had a crush on got sun burnt!

I’ll never forget the spit ball fight my cousins and I had after dinner on our last night. Our parents were all still inside the restaurant finishing their meal and we’d all snuck straws and napkins outside to the park that was outside. Some of us even went back in, asking the waitresses for more! Since our parents never found out, we were able to continue our fun without getting into trouble!

I remember watching my little cousin laugh hysterically at a dinner theatre. Seeing her laugh like that just melted my heart and brightened everyone’s day to see her so happy!

I remember smiles, I remember laughter, I remember excitement, I remember being together. Most of all, I remember the gift, it was the gift of a lifetime; the gift of a memory.

Author's note: This is a completely true story, I wrote mostly for the memories. It is just my perspective of the entire trip, I know everyone else that went had different memories from it, but this is my memory. Hope you enjoyed!

Dedicated to my Grandpa & Grandma who brought us on this trip of a lifetime.