Christmas Magic
My Papa surprised me one year
With a play house for my doll.
The gift was hand-made and dear,
And came with one open wall.
He made a rustic bed and chair,
A dresser with tiny drawers,
And to the attic, a small stair-
Led up to the outdoors.
Magic is found in surprise,
And not in causation.
It allows possibility to arise
Into our imagination.
One of the five stories of Christmas is the story of magic. My definition of magic is "wonderful,; exciting; as in "what a magical moment", from the Oxford Languages Dictionary. Maybe you believe in Santa Claus, in tiny elves who make gifts, and in reindeer who fly all around the world delivering presents, or maybe you believe in a benevolent monk who surprises others with oranges and gingerbread at Christmas. Whatever magic resides in your past or even in your present it does bring warm memories and feelings of grand possibility. Here are some magic moments which I love remembering.
Magic Others Created For Me
One Christmas my grandmother made matching aprons for me and my doll Gretel. We both had pockets and inside she placed an embroidered hanky. Gretel's was adorably tiny.
My daughter-in-law gave my son and I a gift of attending a baking class together where we learned to make incredible pies. Being with him and doing the measuring, mixing, and rolling was so fun and I learned how inventive he was when he decorated the pie top.
When my children were still little two huge packages appeared on our door on Christmas Eve. We were still new to the community and really had no idea who left the boxes. The magic was that the gifts matched the age and interests of each family member. It was uncanny. Who knew us that well?
My husband secretly purchased a piece of art that I fell in love with during a gallery tour. It was painted by Donna Romero. He hung it on the wall on Christmas Eve and I was the last to notice. She told me later how he came back to purchase the painting and arranged to pick it up Christmas Eve Day.
Magic I Created For Others
I made a scavenger hunt for visiting family by taking pictures of little things downtown and then giving two groups the laminated thumbnail pictures and telling them there were prizes for the group that found them all. They had to text me a picture when they located the item.
My daughter and I took two granddaughters to The Nutcracker Ballet in the city. The Pacific Northwest Ballet was decorated incredibly in the lobby and in the theater. Each granddaughter received a wooden Nutcracker from the gift store.
Magic That Just Happened
The toy robot I purchased twenty years earlier still worked at Christmas and entertained my grandchildren for hours.
The Christmas lights across the street lit up a pattern in my living room which sparkled and shined.
My examples demonstrate that magic isn't made solely with money or surprises. Christmas magic is stored all year round and it finds outlets during the season when we allow possibilities to surface. It happens when we are paying attention to others instead of ourselves. Magic happens when we are turned outward.
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