Today was not just a day at the symphony.
It was a moment in time I know I will carry with me forever — the kind that settles quietly into your heart and stays.
Because today, I watched my son experience something for the very first time, saw my mom fall in love with a story she had never experienced before, and in the most unexpected way, I felt my dad right there with us.
🎶 A Very Special Invitation
We were incredibly honored to be invited by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra to attend Encanto in Concert — and from the moment we arrived at the Belk Theater, I could feel that this was going to be more than just a regular matinee.
There was a certain energy in the air. A softness. An anticipation.
The kind that makes you slow down, take a breath, and realize you are about to experience something special.
And then, before we even reached our seats, something happened that I did not expect.
On our way into the theater, a small moment stopped me in my tracks.
An usher looked at me and gasped — truly gasped — and asked if I was performing that night, because she said I looked like a star! She went on to say such kind things about how breathtakingly gorgeous I was and that I had an aura around me, and under normal circumstances, I would have laughed or brushed her off in the nicest of ways. But this week had not been normal.
I had been feeling extremely tired, very fragile, and more aware of my body than I wanted to be. Unfortunately, I need another surgery, having just had one just six months ago. And in that moment, it was not really about what she said — it was how genuinely she said it, like she was seeing something I had forgotten to see in myself.
Then she smiled at my mom and said, “Good job, Mom!”
And somehow, that was the part that stayed with me the most.
It was a quiet reminder that sometimes the smallest, most unexpected interactions can soften something inside of us — and that a few sincere words have the power to linger far longer than we realize.
And I carried that feeling with me as we made our way to our seats.
👦 Joaquín’s First Symphony
But the most magical part of the night was watching Joaquín.
The lights dimmed.
The musicians tuned.
The room filled with that familiar hush — the kind that only happens right before something beautiful begins.
And I watched it all through his eyes.
There is something so precious about witnessing your child experience something for the first time — especially something as powerful as live music. And what made it even more meaningful is that Encanto is already one of our favorite movies.
He knows the songs. He knows the story. He loves the characters.
But tonight…he did not just watch it.
He felt it.
Because when music is played live, it does not just stay on the screen — it moves through you.
🌺 Why Encanto Hits Different
If you have seen Encanto, then you already know — this is not just a colorful, joyful Disney film.
It is a story about family. About expectations. About identity. And quietly…about grief.
Sitting there today, hearing the music performed live, every emotion felt deeper. Richer. Closer.
And in the music, in the story, in the stillness between the notes…I felt my dad.
Not in a loud or overwhelming way. But in a quiet, comforting presence. Like he was there, just for a moment, sharing it with us.
💛 Three Generations, One Moment
What made the evening even more meaningful was who I shared it with.
My mom.
My son.
And me.
Three generations, all together, experiencing something so full of beauty and emotion.
And my mom’s experience made the night even more special.
She had never seen Encanto before, so she walked into the theater not entirely sure what to expect.
By the end of it, she turned to me and said it was her favorite Disney movie she had ever seen. She was crying throughout the performance — deeply moved by the story, the music, and the emotion of it all.
And then something happened that I will carry with me forever. She reached for my hand throughout the two hour show. Over and over again. “I love you,” she kept saying. “Thank you for making this happen.” “I feel your father here.”
Those are words I do not hear often from her. And yet, in that space, surrounded by music and memory, they came so freely. It felt like something opened — something healed, even if just for a moment.
And I felt it too.
I felt my dad there.
This was the world he gave me — the theater, the symphony, the magic of live performance. He was the one who took me to New York City every year to see the latest show on Broadway, who introduced me to opera, specifically to Puccini, to the beauty of storytelling through music. Somehow, he always made it more magical — even getting us backstage to meet performers and collect signed posters like treasures.
And somewhere along the way, I forgot how much I loved it. Life got busy. Priorities shifted. And I quietly stopped going.
But sitting there tonight, I remembered. I remembered how it feels to be completely transported. I remembered how powerful live music can be. I remembered a part of myself that I did not even realize I had lost. And for the first time in a long time, I was not crying from sadness.
I was smiling. The entire night.
The Holy Water Bracelet pieces on my wrist that night were not just accessories — they were part of a story about giving, receiving, and letting go, a kind of love that finds its way exactly where it is meant to be. My guardian angel bracelet is a reminder my dad is with me at all times.
🎻 The Magic Of Live Music
One of the most incredible parts of Encanto in Concert is how seamlessly the orchestra brings the film to life.
Every note is perfectly timed. Every emotion is amplified.
The Charlotte Symphony does not simply play music — they become part of the story itself.
And hearing the vibrant, Latin-inspired score performed live added an entirely new layer of depth, energy, and connection.
It did not feel like we were watching a movie.
It felt like we were inside of it.
✨ A Night I Did Not Know I Needed
I walked into the theater expecting a fun family outing.
I walked out carrying something so much deeper: gratitude, connection, and emotion.
A sense of closeness — to my son, to my mom, and to my dad in a way that felt both invisible and undeniable.
Nights like this remind you that sometimes the moments we do not plan…are the ones that heal us the most.
💫 Final Thoughts
If you ever have the chance to experience a film with a live symphony — go! Especially if you have children. Especially if you love music. Especially if your heart needs something it cannot quite name.
Because experiences like this are not just entertainment.
They are connection.
They are memory.
They are meaning.
💛 Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra for inviting us to be part of such memorable evening.
You did not just give us tickets — you gave us a memory we will carry forever!
