Wow, really?

DisneyMom had told me online that she had a “thank you” gift for me for something I’d done last year. Her veteran father-in-law turned 70 and she solicited her friends from all over to send him a birthday card. I did that, but then also had the Vocal Majority sing Happy Birthday to him and sent her the recording. To me, it was not that big of a thing and certainly no major effort, but it was apparently very well received and appreciated. I assured her that no thanks were necessary, but my protests didn’t seem to have much impact.

DisneyMom asks us about our Disney pin collecting. Older son Brandon and I have a few dozen pins, but we’re not able to visit the parks often enough to be avid traders. Benjamin and Becky each own a few, but aren’t much into the collecting. Still, we all appreciate the ones we have.

Well, DisneyMom then lets us know that she has a pin for each of us – she assures us that she owns a lot and loves to give them away. But she’s gone even further above and beyond… she’s picked out a pin for each of us individually based on what she knows about us from our trip reports!

As she lays out each pin, our jaws hit the floor. Each pin she’s chosen is perfect for each of us. For Benjamin, knowing he loves Stitch, a wonderful Stitch pin.

Brandon’s a big Mickey Mouse fan, and his pin is an awesome Sorcerer Mickey. Becky’s is amazingly right for her – a pink, Hollywood-like star with Minnie Mouse dressed as a movie star.

And for me… well, I enjoy all things Disney, but I know my love for Disney’s monorails shines through in my reports. DisneyMom pulls out a beautiful pin commemorating the Mark I monorail, the first at Disneyland. It features monorail pilot’s wings, and a monorail train rotates around the pin back. It’s one of the coolest pins I’ve seen!

She’s nailed it, for each of us.

I’m stunned, and very profusive, I hope, in my thanks. But DisneyMom isn’t done!

She then reminds me of the trip report I wrote of our 2009 Anaheim trip, where I recounted our once-in-a-lifetime visit to Disneyland’s exclusive private gourmet dining club, Club 33 (arranged courtesy of another friend on StupidGuestTricks.com!). Well, not only is the club exclusive – you can only get in at the invitation of a member – but Club 33 merchandise is exclusive, too – you can only buy it there in the club. So at the end of our amazing meal, Brandon and I hoped to buy Club 33 pins. We found out, though, that the pins had been discontinued, so we settled for buying Club 33 hats.

Well, DisneyMom remembered that story, and says that she almost immediately started hunting for a Club 33 pin to give to me. It took her months, she says – but she finally found a cast member wearing one and traded for it.

She reaches into her bag and pulls out a stunning silver and black Club 33 logo pin. And slides it across the table to me!

I am stunned almost speechless. Wow. Just… wow. I cannot fathom, well, not just the generosity to give away something like that, but the selflessness that would lead her to think of me over the time it took to find the pin, all with the thought that she might be able to give it to me someday.

DisneyMom is now one of my favorite people in the world.