Justify?

[shm_helene]

Hey Fellow Disers~

I have to ask a relatively serious question. I've loved Disney for years. When I'm feeling down wearing my disney shirts makes me happy, drinking out of my Disney mug makes me calm at the end of a long day, bad day coaching? stalk the Disboards. To summarize it, I've loved Disney for years. We are a Disney family. My daughter is still wearing her EMM band and we've been home over 3 weeks now. She looks at her Disney stuff all the time. My little one loves it as well (well, she's 6 so not so little anymore).

Recently I've hit a bit of a snag in life and flicked my anxiety/guilt switch on, and it's like I'm experiencing guilt and anxiety in triple time. I have been to a therapist...but I'm just not getting from her the ability to move past this current issue.

My current issue is this - while at Disney the last time I was experiencing some anxiety over my kids and one thing I've been trying to do to cope is to be in the present and remember that the anxieties that I'm feeling are for things that haven't happened. I kind of moved past that but it opened my eyes to a whole new kind of guilt - first world guilt. I know that's a touchy word, but it's best probably summed up in that phrase. I am looking around thinking - I'm worried about FP and kids are dying (at the rate of over 1,000/day) from lack of clean drinking water....which leads to I'm so selfish because I could use my money to help make life better for families around the world and instead I'm at a theme park. This anxiety/guilt obviously has spread to other parts of my life but none make me as sad as this. We are AP holders for goodness sakes. I want to find my love for Disney again but I'm having a hard time justifying it in my heart.

I write this not because I want to start a heated debate - I'm just looking for some help and I felt no one else would understand my love of Disney like this place. My intent isn't to guilt or shame anyone else. I know Disney people tend to be people with good hearts so I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and what they've done about it (other than stop going). Please...be gentle <3.

I truly thank you in advance.

**Edit** I guess what I'm trying to figure out is...how do you look at all the $$ we spend at Disney and not think about how each dollar could be spend helping someone else out.

 

[StacyStrong]

You can't solve every problem in the world. There is always "more" someone could be doing. If you volunteer your time and money when you can, you have nothing to be guilty about. You didn't cause the problems other people suffer through. You can care and make a difference while still enjoying vacations.

We can ALL realize that things aren't so bad when we are stressing over things like FP, but it's nothing to beat ourselves up over. I don't think anyone going to Disney regularly that complains about FP actually think they are somehow disadvantaged compared to people who are truly struggling.

Someone is ALWAYS worse off. Someone is always better off. You can't live life comparing yourself to every single person and rack yourself with guilt.

Make a cognizant effort to help those less fortunate than yourself and keep enjoying your Disney trips.

 

[Magical2017]

You can still do good in the world and take a vacation. What things can you do at home that make a difference? Whether it is collecting items for a food bank, donating money or time, or some other contribution, small things add up.

 

[JerseyGuy24]

not really sure what you are looking to get out of this thread. If you are worried about justifying taking your family to disney with your family AND having anxiety about the less fortunate people around the world i can say this. I am not a wealthy person, I take my family to Disney once a year, and we also sponsor 2 children in the Philippines to provide them with the necessary items they need. I know that I cannot fix the worlds problems, but if I can help at least one person someone in the world who needs it, I feel like i have done my part. I look at all the terrible things going on around the world and it actually makes me feel like an extremely fortunate person and this helps me and my family enjoy our time spent on our Disney trips even more. Long story short, you can make a difference in someones life, a cause you feel strongly about, etc, AND you can also enjoy the little things like disney and fast passes

 

[Mome Rath]

It's all about balance, IMO. Giving, saving, spending, etc... The right balance is one to be made with the input of our families and/or our religious beliefs (and that includes how we spend our time). The fact you are thinking about it all is a good reflection of your heart.

 

[NuJoy]

()

 

[cvjw]

Start doing for others. It will make you feel good to actually make a difference in the world. Don’t leave it to the government or others to help out, do it yourself.

We help out people and animals thru multiple charities. We know that we can’t solve all the world’s ills, but we can help to solve some of them

 

[shm_helene]

Thank you to everyone for your replies

 

[Amy11401]

I have actually read on here about how some people volunteer to help others while on their Disney vacations; they find an organization to help out that is near Disney. Maybe taking sometime during your vacation to do something like this would be an idea for you.

 

[Newsies]

I have actually read on here about how some people volunteer to help others while on their Disney vacations; they find an organization to help out that is near Disney. Maybe taking sometime during your vacation to do something like this would be an idea for you.

^^^ This. My suggestion to you was to look into volunteering at Give Kids the World Village, the non-for-profit resort that provides ill children and their families with free vacations to Orlando. If you can spare a day, it's a wonderful way to do good in the Orlando area. You can look more into that here.

 

[shm_helene]

^^^ This. My suggestion to you was to look into volunteering at Give Kids the World Village, the non-for-profit resort that provides ill children and their families with free vacations to Orlando. If you can spare a day, it's a wonderful way to do good in the Orlando area. You can look more into that here.

Thank you for this suggestion! That is definitely something to check into. I've seen this charity before on the KtP FB group.

 

[Future_WorldPhonencian]

It takes a lot of courage for you to put your vulnerabilities out here for us to comment on, you should be commended! There have been a lot of great suggestions so far, might

I would also like to suggest taking a day out of your next trip to volunteer with give kids the world (other posters said this first).

It would be a great way of sharing what you enjoy with those in need and it might also assuage your anxiety.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

It's your money. You can't change everyone. Don't fret the possible by losing the actual. It's your money.