"I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing–that it was all started by a mouse."

This really is just a short post to say thank you to a man that I will, sadly, never get to meet.

He is a man that changed my life and the lives of millions throughout the world. You don't have to be a child to appreciate what he gave us. Anyone can. Anyone at all.

In 1928, a 26 year old American man created one the most iconic characters ever to grace animation. This character would signal the start of a story telling industry that has captured the hearts and minds of countless people. It would signal the start of a magic that has yet to die.

That characters name was Mickey Mouse. And his creator was a man by the name of Walt Disney.

Mickey debuted in a 7 minute short film called Steamboat Willie and it was this that started the animating magic of the Walt Disney Studios.

After a short while, a cast of characters slowly joined Mickey; his girlfriend Minnie debuted with him in Steamboat Willie, Clarabelle Cow followed in 1929, Pluto in 1930, Goofy in 1932, Donald Duck in 1934 and Donald's girlfriend Daisy in 1940. Disney's first feature film also came out during this time; in 1937, Snow White became the "princess who started it all" and began the tradition of Disney adapting fairy tales. These characters and the magic they created went a long way to help the world through the struggles of World War II with their cartoons sporting pro American messages and giving the hope of winning a better world.

I know I can speak for countless others when I say that Disney has changed my life. They gave us stories that give us hope that everyone can have a happy ending. Disney has taught us to be true to who we are. That we can have the Prince, the Princess, we can be a housewife, a warrior, an outcast, a dreamer, we can live without the true love, we can fix bonds we thought to be forever broken. That sometimes just believing in the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful magic. They taught us to see beneath appearances, that not everyone is as they appear to be. A beast may be more human than man. That, if we want to be more than we are, we can be so as long as we try. That if we want to be exactly who we now, we do not need to change. Most importantly, Disney has taught us that can be who are are, and we can be proud. We do not have to hide. We can be anything we want whether that be the princess or the outcast, the housewife or the warrior. This is the true message of Disney. This is the true magic. After all, Walt did say "If you can dream it, you can do it." 

And so, I say this to the man who gave us all of this. Walter Elias Disney, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney