Finding Nemo

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At Disney World we all decided to visit the Finding Nemo ride. Kathy was trumpeting the cuteness of the ride, and I was happy to get into the small boat so that I didn't have to walk for a few minutes.

We took the ride through the underground cave as a narrator told us the story of how Nemo got lost, was chased by a big shark, and then thankfully arrived at the happy conclusion.

We stepped off the ride and Sam turned to his older brothers - "Oh Thank God that worked out," he said. "I was sooooooo scared when Nemo got lost. I was heartbroken, really. I was thinking, 'My God, I hope Nemo gets back safely.'"

Jake and Sam were laughing along. It was just Sam's way of poking fun at Kathy because she had put us on a ride that they considered a little lame.

"There were tears running down my face when I realized that Nemo was lost!" Sam said. "Over and over, I prayed that Nemo would be found, and then when I saw that shark, Oh, God, I can't even begin to tell you what that was doing to me! I nearly lost it. I was crying, 'Poor Nemo, poor Nemo, please make it back, pleeeeease, Nemo."

At this point, Jake and Matt, and I were laughing so hard that we couldn't stand anymore, but Sam continued.

"And then it was like a miracle," Sam said. "Nemo found his way home! He did it! I started crying again, but now they were tears of joy. I was soooooo happy. I thought, 'Way to go Nemo! You did it'"

"All right," Kathy said, "I get it, it was a little babyish for you."

"No, Mom. I'm telling you that I never felt better. Imagine! Nemo was lost and then he was found. It looked bad for him and then Presto! he was safe. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed that ride!"

For the rest of the trip, every time the conversation turned to the trip to Disney World, Sam began a variation of his satisfaction with the Finding Nemo ride. As we drove for an hour towards the airport, he recapped the ride declaring that when Nemo was found - "It was the greatest moment of my life."

I glanced at Kathy as Sam recapped it again. The belly laugh was shaking my body and from the corner of my eye, I saw the same joy in my wife's face.

We had done what we had set out to do - with a lot of help from the boys - we had provided them with a few moments to carry with them for the rest of their days.

And Thank God Nemo was all right.

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