Last week in Montreal, we held an advanced screening of the new Beauty and the Beast movie. Over 30 of our families came out, in the snow, to see Disney’s remake of the classic musical.
It really was an amazing program; we treated our families to Pizza, Popcorn, Soda and as a final touch, each of our moms left the theatre with a rose and note that read “Thank You for Being Our Guest.”
What I loved about this event was the fact that our parents were, to a certain extent, even more excited to see the movie than our kids were. They looked forward to sharing a piece of their childhood with their children.
The theatre was filled and everyone was singing along and clapping to the traditional songs. But then, surrounded by all of our Chai Lifeline Families, there was an exchange between Chip and Mrs. Potts that caught my attention.
At the end of the song “Something There”, as Bell is realizing that there is more to Beast than meets the eye, Chip turns to his mother and asks:
[CHIP] What is it? What’s there?
[MRS. POTTS] I’ll tell you when you’re older
[PAUSE FOR A SECOND]
[CHIP] Okay, I’m older!
While I know that this exchange was intended to bring some cute comedic relief to the end of the song, that “I’m Older” line really stuck with me. As I sat there amongst so many children who have had to “grow up” so quickly due to their illness, the smiles and much needed distraction that this program created reminded me exactly why we do what we do at Chai Lifeline.
They say that when you smile, even if you are in a bad mood, that it will immediately improve your mood. We are in the business of CREATING SMILES and restoring childhood to those who have been affected by serious pediatric illness.
We invite our families to “Be Our Guest” at every opportunity we can. From Holiday parties to Shabbattons to an afternoon visit at our center. We are there with them, by their side, every step of the way.
Both a little scared, neither one prepared; we at Chai Lifeline promise to continue making sure that there is always “Something There” for our children and families.
If you are in the Montreal area and interested in our organization, please contact Stu at [email protected] to get involved, and to help them remember that they are true Beauties.
