Disney

For the last year, CC and I had been planning a trip to DisneyWorld, and it was scheduled for the weekend after my mom died. At first I thought we would have to cancel the trip, but my dad and I discussed it and decided to try to make it work. It couldn't be postponed -- CC's best friend, Clara, who we were going with, was scheduled for major back surgery the following week, and wouldn't be able to go on amusement park rides for a year. And although the last thing I felt like doing was going to "the happiest place on earth" after my mom just died, I didn't want CC to lose her beloved Memere and this trip. And I also didn't want Clara to miss the trip she'd been looking forward to as well, her "last hurrah" before her surgery.

Amazingly, Linda offered to fill in for me on the Disney trip until I could arrive. And honestly, she's really the only one who could have gone in my place: CC is comfortable with her, and Alison (Clara's mom) is also friends with her. So after spending several days with my dad, making arrangements and helping settle my mom's affairs, I flew down to join them, and Linda flew home.

In many ways, it was a good distraction. I smiled through my tears and did a pretty decent job of staying in the moment. It was nice to see CC having fun -- she and Clara are really sweet friends. 

It was shockingly cold! But we bundled up and maximized our time. CC and Clara took the lead, navigating us through each park and managing our fast passes. Our all-time favorite ride was Tron, which we rode twice (despite 2-hour lines -- worth it!). They loved the Star Wars area at Hollywood Studios, and we rode Smuggler's Run twice. Other favorite rides were Soarin, the Rockin' Roller Coaster, and Space Mountain. The girls also went on (and loved) Tower of Terror twice, but Alison and I skipped that -- not our cup of tea.

CC's only specific request for the trip was that we eat at Cinderella's Royal Table, the restaurant inside the castle at Magic Kingdom. We did that on our final night, and it was magical. CC was surprisingly excited to see all the princesses, and the food was delicious. But the best part was when we left -- the fireworks show had started, so we weren't allowed to leave the castle. An employee fetched a bench, and we had a beautiful, private view of the fireworks from inside the castle. Not too many people get to experience that! It was a wonderful way to end our trip, and a special memory to end our bittersweet trip.