“The Force is strong in my family. My father has it, I have it…..my sister has it.” is one of the most well known lines in Star Wars history AND just happens to describe the legacy that it has had on me and my family! It all started with my dad. He saw the movies in the theaters and even while on his church mission to South Korea he was able to get his hands on some pretty cool memorabilia for Return of the Jedi. My dad was a film major in college, so he would teach us about the cinematic advances made as we watched/heard them in movies and Star Wars pushed ALL of the boundaries of film making.
My first memory of Star Wars was at 3 years old and watching A New Hope with my Dad. I immediately fell in love with Luke and the characters in the movie. Leia became my favorite princess and I’d pretend to be her whenever I could. My dad and I would have marathons in the living room complete with popcorn, candy and blasting the sound as loud as we could to get the full effect of the stellar sound of blasters and lightsabers clashing.
When I worked at Disneyland in 2010, my “home store location” was Star Trader in Tomorrowland. AKA THE STAR WARS STORE! It was fate. My favorite station was the Build Your Own Lightsaber where I got to help guests literally make a lightsaber! Yes a toy version but those “Padawan learners” (aka Jedi in training) didn’t think they were anything different than real ones. It was one of the most fun and rewarding things I’ve done. Nerdy? Yes ma’am, but totally fun and felt so good to help other kids (especially young girls) realize their dreams of being a Jedi Knight.
Fast forward to my own kids! I was counting down the days until mine were old enough to watch the movies with me. I had a feeling she’d like them just as much as I did. Guess what? I was totally right! She latched onto these timeless characters and she immediately asked for one of my many lightsabers to play with. And since that day she has loved Star Wars just like me. A legacy to be handed down!
We went to Disneyland as a family last year and it was the first year she was old enough to do Jedi Training. THIS was the moment.THIS is what all of my Jedi training was leading up to: watching my daughter believe in something so much, to face fears of hers, and to do it so well! She faced Darth Vader and she took him down all while I stood on the sidelines crying because my little nerd heart was just so full! Jade stood with her dad above me yelling out encouragement to her sister and is now begging to be able to become a “real Jedi Mama!”
The Force is Strong in My Family, do you feel it in yours??
