Waypoints: 30 Days of Gratitude

This month, Moteventure turns its compass toward the quiet power of thankfulness. Waypoints: 30 Days of Gratitude is a daily storytelling journey through resilience, grace, and the moments that anchor us. Each post will be a marker — a pause along the path — where gratitude reveals itself in unexpected ways. From small gestures to life-altering kindness, these stories invite reflection, connection, and a deeper appreciation for the light we find (and share) along the way.

Every path has its waypoints. If gratitude lit yours, leave a note beneath this post.

The Button on the Parade Route

It was just after sunset at Walt Disney World, and the Magic Kingdom was glowing.

The lights had come on — golden halos around the turrets of Cinderella Castle, twinkling strands along Main Street, and the soft shimmer of lanterns lining the parade route. Families lined the curb, kids clutching popcorn buckets and bubble wands, waiting for the nighttime spectacle to begin.

Among them sat a boy named Eli, age six, in a wheelchair. His parents had brought him to Disney as part of a Make-A-Wish trip. Eli had been through more hospital visits than most adults. But tonight, he was smiling. Wide-eyed. Wearing a Mickey ears cap that was slightly too big and a red shirt with a single button pinned to it: “First Visit.”

As the parade music began, Eli leaned forward. The floats rolled by — shimmering, spinning, glowing with color. Characters waved. Dancers twirled. And then came Mickey.

The float slowed near Eli’s section. Mickey turned, pointed directly at him, and made a heart shape with his gloved hands. Then he tapped his own chest and pointed back at Eli.

Eli’s face lit up. He waved both arms, laughing. His parents were crying.

But the moment didn’t end there.

A cast member nearby — a young woman in a blue vest — knelt beside Eli and whispered something. Then she unclipped a small pin from her lanyard and handed it to him.

It was a golden button. Not for a first visit. Not for a birthday. It simply said: “You made magic today.”

Eli held it like treasure.

Later, his mom posted about it online. “We came here hoping for a smile,” she wrote. “We left with a memory that will carry us through the hard days. Thank you to the cast member who saw our son. Thank you to Mickey. Thank you to the magic.”

The post went viral. The cast member was identified. Her name was Marissa. She’d been working at Disney for three years. She said she didn’t do anything special — just wanted Eli to know he mattered.

But that’s the thing about gratitude. It doesn’t always come from grand gestures. Sometimes it’s a button. A glance. A moment of being seen.

And sometimes, the most powerful kind of magic isn’t in the fireworks or the castles — it’s in the quiet exchange between a child and a stranger who chooses to show up with kindness.

Eli still keeps the button on his nightstand.

---