Who made the rule that becoming an adult means you have to stop believing in things from childhood? We grow up, and it seems mandatory that our beliefs mature along with us, While I am not advocating acting like a child, there are times that they have the right idea. When we are kids, we believe in magic. We believe in the wonder of rainbows and pictures in the clouds. Hopefully we are blessed with parents or family members who not only encourage this, but they contribute to it as well.
When I was young, my dad could make me believe in all kinds of magic. He could act like a frog when hit with a 'spell' by my sisters, convince us that the angels went bowling during a storm, and never let us down with the magic of holiday figures. My mother was equally talented, and when she explained to me that Santa could see through the small figure on our mantle, I had no doubt of the information. When she had us stand in front of the figure to take our medicine, I did not want to let her down or get on the naughty list. Mom still explains things to her great grandchildren, but now she gets to watch the next generations spreading the magic that is childhood.
When I became a mother, it suddenly fell to me to explain things the way that my mom did. I got to watch and observe as my son caringly made sure that his little sister believed in things like mischievous leprechauns making messes around the house at St. Patrick's Day. While we had the Santa figure (my mother passed it down), she also gave her grandchildren a new bit of magic - a snowman that could tell Santa when the kids were naughty or nice. I should add that this snowman has a smile on one side, and a frown on the other. This was in the days before the elf on the shelf became such a popular thing. I loved continuing and expanding on the magic of holidays that my parents created for me. Now my kids are older, but as a teacher and storyteller, I still get to create magic. I was recently teaching in an elementary classroom for several weeks. With my kids' permission, the magic snowman came to school to help those children. The students got great joy from finding the snowman in a new location around the room each day. They became quite concerned if the snowman stopped smiling, as that meant Santa could see choices that might get one on the naughty list. So the magic continues into another generation.
My parents explained things to me when they thought it was time. You don't have to stop believing in things like magic as you mature, but you do have to adjust your perceptions. You go from the one receiving the magic of Santa and similar figures to the person delivering or perpetuating the stories. It is the generosity of spirit and kindness that make amazing things happen. Just sharing a smile and a pleasant greeting with someone can change their whole day. Allowing that little bit of creativity to survive as we grow up is what leads to great things in other areas too. Obviously, working in a creative field such as literature or music benefits from it. Other professions can benefit, too, as they look for solutions to problems or new ways of doing things.
I choose, therefore, to believe in magic and wonderful things. I will always look for beauty around me. I will continue to carry the torch of knowing what is real or not but sharing the amazingness of believing in things from childhood with future generations. I will look for shapes in the clouds and revel in rainbows. And I will encourage my kids and grandchildren to always do the same. Merry Christmas from BP's Bookshelf.
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