Hurricane on the Bayou quickly became my son's favorite IMAX film of all times for three reasons: 1) he loves nature, 2) music stirs his soul and there was plenty of it throughout the film, and 3) Amanda Shaw -- the darling girl who played fiddle and shared her love of Louisiana with viewers.

There was no knowing, when we saw the film, that we'd soon have the opportunity to meet Amanda. As soon as I discovered she'd be in town (at an event we'd already be attending), I put all my energy into giving my son the chance to meet this young lady. Once I told him she'd be in town, he stated over and over and over again how much he wanted to meet her. I didn't say a word. On pins and needles for weeks, he became more nervous the closer it got to the big day.

"Do you think I'll be able to say hello to her, Mom?" he asked repeatedly.

"Maybe," I said. "We'll have to see." He still had no clue what I'd been planning.

The day before the big event, my son searched for a little stuffed animal to give her. He chose an alligator. It made sense because she sang "The Gator Song" in the movie and well, my son had also made her a card in the shape of a gator. On the day of her performance, he asked to stop at the store so he could pick out flowers for her. My little boy was turning into a big time Romeo, it seemed. I reminded him that she was six years older and maybe we wouldn't get a chance to even talk to her, but he was undeterred. "If I could, I'd ask her to have dinner with us!" he declared. I had to smile at his gutsy first display of...not exactly manly, but definitely not boyish...ardor.

On stage, Amanda played her fiddle with energy and style. My son waited nervously for his chance to "maybe" meet her. A few minutes before the end of the set, the woman responsible for Amanda's appearance at this event came over and asked us to follow her, my son clueless. Suddenly, "THE AMANDA SHAW!!" as my boy called her, was in front of us. And before the entire thing was over, she'd hugged my kid several times, leaving him tongue-tied and grinning from ear to ear.

I know I won't always be able to give my son the special things he wants, but for once, I managed to make a dream come true for him. I look at this image and see how happy he was and am filled with a certain sort of motherly pride and dread. You see, I'm thrilled at seeing him realize dreams, but hate the thought of the disappointments that he'll inevitably encounter during his lifetime. I rationalize that this is the way life is and I can only encourage him to pursue his dreams regardless of the outcome, help him whenever possible, and pray that for the times he falls short of whatever his goal that he remembers his "Amanda" moment and keep on reaching for the stars.

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