“When I look at my Tigger sweater, I get this feeling of nostalgia. To some it might seem like a simple piece of cotton, but to me it signifies so much more.”
Angela loves Disneyland. She’s been going since she was a small child.
The first Disneyland memory that I am able to recall is when I was just four years old. I remember the excitement I felt as a child the night before the trip and being unable to sleep because I was so ecstatic. I vividly remember walking down Main Street with a churro in my hand, and of course flaunting my oversized Minnie Mouse ears.
On that trip, Angela’s father told her and her siblings to pick out anything they wanted from the gift store.
I was overwhelmed, not knowing where to start or what to even choose. However, as I looked through the store, this green Tigger sweater caught my attention and I instantly knew exactly what I wanted.
She loved the Winnie the Pooh story and its cast of characters. She remembers her father having a particular fondness of Tigger.
My dad’s favorite character happened to be Tigger because of what he represented. Tigger was always full of happiness and had a major love of life that he exhibited among his friends.
The year prior to the Disneyland excursion, Angela’s dad had been treated for leukemia.
I remember lying with my dad on his hospital bed and having the Winnie the Pooh movie on repeat.
The trip to Disneyland was the first family vacation they had taken since doctors gave her father the go-ahead to visit public places. She attributes her dad’s successful battle against cancer to his positive outlook on life and his willpower.
Not once did he ever complain about what was thrown his way, even when he spent months in the hospital being picked and poked by doctors.
In many ways, Tigger reminds her of her father.
Now that I am an adult, I see the resemblance in my father’s and Tigger’s personalities. My father is playful, energetic, optimistic, and a truly happy individual. He constantly reminded us that life is beautiful and. although it sounds like a cliché, life is truly a gift that has to be valued and taken care of.
Angela continues to value and care for these gifts from her father, and to enjoy visits to Disneyland with her family. Her Tigger sweatshirt from when she was four years old is on display here.