From our vantage point at Magic Kingdom bag check, it looked like a tsunami of humanity coming towards us.
I was at the last security table on the left as you look at the boats and I noticed a little boy maybe six or seven years old running ahead of the pack. When he ran towards us, he came to my table and his parents were right behind him. They had to pick up the pace to catch up to him.
As he approached, I squatted down to his eye level like we're trained to do and said, "How ya doin' little buddy?" He proceeded to give me the strongest bear hug I've gotten in a long time. I looked up at his parents and asked if it would be OK to hug him back, also as we're trained to do, and they both nodded yes, so I did an open hug where you pat the back, but your elbows are up and away. I had to ask him to let go so I could give him a security sticker and he did.
After I gave him the sticker he kept looking up at me grinning ear to ear, but he never said a word.
I started going through Mom's bag and while I was chatting I noticed tears running down her cheeks and I looked at Dad and he was filling up with tears too.
"Is everything alright?" I asked in a kind of whisper not to draw attention to the couple.
They both nodded yes and Mom started to say something but couldn't get it out and Dad said, "Our son is autistic and has never showed any emotion. He associates you with Mickey Mouse, I guess. This is a real breakthrough."
I finished looking through their bags and squatted to the little boy's eye level again and through misting eyes of my own wished him a Magical Day and got another bear hug for my efforts. I loved my job.
So until next time--Have a Magical Day!! Below is the last remaining sticker I own
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