The year 2020 will be remembered as the year when everything changed. Seemingly out of the blue, the world as we know it became a place of fear and global lockdown due to covid19. The current number of infected people worldwide has come to 3 455 888, with 245 373 lives lost. The impact on society has been massive and left thousands of people unemployed. Those still employed, have been stuck with home office instead of flying off to meetings across the country or around the world. Covid19 has certainly made the world smaller by way of zoom, teams and other digital platforms, and by doing so giving people the chance to connect for meetings from their own living room. As society slows down due to restrictions, our personal time increases even if we have to endure social distancing and quarantine. For me, this means that I’ve had the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends across the globe…

It is the power of the dream that brings us here…

I have other reasons to keep 2020 fresh in my memory, as it marks the 25th anniversary of my arrival at Walt Disney World. I became a Fellowship Ambassador alongside wonderful people from all over the world and made lifelong friends. The year I spent in Florida became important for me in so many ways. The freedom of being away from expectations and prejudice at home, gave me the opportunity to explore and learn more about myself. But more importantly, it taught me the meaning of family. As a gay man, I might not experience what is considered the traditional family for most people. Obviously, I come from somewhere and have both parents and siblings. But when or if I will experience being a parent myself, is something I know nothing about. Not for lack of wanting, more so because I haven’t been given the opportunity… But then again, what is family really? For me, family is about those people in my life that I choose to be my family. The friends that I have extraordinary experiences with, that I can confide in or that will always be there for me when needed. You don’t have to be blood related, to be considered someones family and you don’t have to live in the same household…

I’m supposed to meet my chosen family for a 25th reunion in London this summer, but who knows what the weeks ahead will bring. Still hoping there will be an opening, I have my reservations intact for as long as it seems a possibility. But whatever happens or however long it takes, I know my family will be there – we will continue to meet on zoom, be part of each others lives and give or get the support needed in the ups and downs of life.

Be true to your dream – you might find your family!