I have been growing up with my children for the last nine years and they have shared so much âmagicâ with me and they are part of the reason that I have learned to trust, love and open my heart up to humanity in a deeper way.
There is a contradiction that I have often encountered as I have learnt to parent concerning what is called âThe magic of childhood.â Many of us seek to give our children an experience of magic in their lives but why is it we seek to deliver trips to Disneyland, are not honest about who brings presents and queue up for hours to meet a Father Christmas in a shopping mall etc.
This has got me pondering why, as parents, we so easily fall into the behaviours of the generations before us and knowingly perpetuate the cultural myths of the Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas etc. as if there is no other way of bringing up our children?
The so called âmagic of childhood,â such as the Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas, pale into insignificance when we allow ourselves to appreciate the moments of true connection and joy that can be shared with one another.
The âmagicâ of Christmas, Easter bunnies, birthdays, is big business, and many of us can feel the pressure to get the right present, to have everything perfect for these events in the year. And while it is fantastic to stop rushing around, spend quality time with people around us, have a party or share a meal, as parents is it possible that we can be somewhat reliant on cultural mythologies and savvy marketing campaigns to bring an element of âmagicâ to our childrenâs lives ââ but what are they really experiencing?
Could it be that âmagicâ is right there in front of our eyes in all moments, at all times of the year? And if so, what is magic – and do our birthdays, Christmas Day or any of our cultural icons have anything to do with it?
What do we do when our child asks, âDid you buy this for me?â concerning a present under the tree, or when they are uncooperative one day and we decide to bring out the, âBe good or Santa wonât be comingâ story⌠Do we consider what we are bringing into our relationships with our children when we do not respond to them with honesty? Could the words we choose to answer with, if not honest, actually begin to degrade the very sense of magic, wonder and joy that is naturally alive within every child?
I suggest that appreciating magic in our lives has a lot to do with appreciating the gold that is in our lives on a daily basis and being as open, sincere and honest as we can be in our relationships.
Feeling a sense of magic in life is very much about nurturing and keeping alive the innocence, sensitivity and openness that children are born with and which, potentially even into adulthood, we can maintain.
Is it possible that magic is everywhere â it just happens that we keep getting distracted by a false light because it comes with glitters and sparkles? Could that âfalse lightâ be flashing at us like false advertising on a neon signâŚ. selling us short-term solutions and investments when it comes to the âmagicâ of life, rather than us having to look with honesty at the cynicism, reactions and hard shells that we develop as we grow into adults?
Are we already clouded by a cultural idea that thinks that we can not maintain and live with a wonder and magic of life at any age? Is it truly a natural progression in life to not feel magic and become cynical as we mature?
When we reflect on our experiences, it is our relationships and moments of connection that have true meaning â not what we buy, do or have.
What maintains and supports a knowing and sense of innocence and magic in a childâs life (something we all know at the birth of a child) is when they feel they are seen for who they are and appreciated and accepted.
- Knowing that if they have a question to ask, they will know that their parents will answer that question with honesty, to the best of their ability.
- Knowing that if the world gets tricky and slippery, they have some open and loving arms to come to and be held in.
- Knowing that when their parents make mistakes, they can apologise.
- Knowing that they were born more than enough, and they never need to seek anything outside of themselves to prove who they are.
- Knowing that their parents are role-modelling letting go of their âstuffâ so that together they can be more loving, because living with love is more important to them than holding on to any âstuff.â
- Knowing that if they feel something that is not true, their parents will support them to honour what they have felt.
- That when they look up, and look at their parents straight in the eye, they connect and are with them in full â to the best of their ability.
The magic of childhood does not need to leave us in adulthood. It is felt through the quality in which we live every day, which can include:
- The knowing of the true light that shines bright within every one of us when we connect with each other.
- Exploring the oneness, wonder and expanse of the universe.
- How Love can be felt and lived.
- Appreciating ourselves and one another.
- Being aware of the natural order expressed in nature: the signs, symbols, connections and synchronicity of life. I observe this daily in the branches of a tree (how each one has its place in balance), the shape and texture of a flowerâs petals, the people I have around to reflect something to learn and appreciate, the rainbow in a raindrop, the light changing throughout the day, a full moon, observing the cycle of night and day and raising my head and taking in the stars.
Being open to the wonder and magic of life as an adult is a way of role-modelling the quality we so seek to sustain within our children.
This is where, as parents, we have the opportunity to be a true role model, to live in the quality that supports our children, inspiring them by how we live responsibly and with care for our own health and wellbeing; by appreciating what is reflected in life and learning from it, with the understanding that this underpins everything we do and say. The old saying, âDo as I say, not as I do,â is something that many parents are familiar with, but the thing is we are all hypocrisy radars and sniff out inconsistency before a word has been spoken.
There is magic all around us, at all times. It can be felt and it can be lived in the smallest interaction through honouring what we feel and appreciating ourselves and others. We all have the power to choose to commit to building a life with more consistency and care. It takes commitment but it is so enriching, nurturing and joyful to explore true magic throughout the year, rather than being reliant on what is sold to us seasonally or keeping it for so called âspecialâ occasions â whether it be appreciating what the seasons reflect to us, being aware of bird song, how the sky changes, a sunset, bringing nature into the home with flowers, the sparkle in someoneâs eye, enjoying the warmth of the sun on your back.
By the way, this does not mean a life desolate of dressing up, gifts, rituals and playfulness. Parties can still be planned and enjoyed and the changing ages, cycles and seasons marked and celebrated. Life has so many moments to mark, confirm and enjoy, be it coming together for a meal, allowing our bodies to rest as the day comes to a close, dancing together, appreciating our relationships and expressing it, choosing a gift from a place of love and celebrating our lives as they unfold through the years.
When it comes to parenting, what will our children reflect upon when the years have passed? In this world that can be at times chaotic, cynical, dishonest, unloving and scary, could it be that there was a beacon of light and consistency, a parent without perfection that honoured who they are, truly listened and was honest with them? A parent who shared the wonder of how life and nature reflect back to us who we are?
How would this prepare a child for adulthood while holding and nurturing that light of true magic within?
Just take a moment and look into a child’s eyes without expectation or a guard. Be open to the love and light that resides within (if you donât have a child near you, it works just as well with an adult). See that sparkle and light shine and you will know there is true magic right there⌠within us all.
By Anonymous.
Further Reading:
Building true relationships and positive parenting
Do Our Kids Want a ‘Better’ Life or a ‘Connected Life’?
Leave the stuffing for the Christmas turkey
The magic of childhood is watching children play with water, children love water they are drawn to it and can play for hours making up all sorts of different games and also just be in the wonder how a beaker can be filled up with running water and over flow onto their hands and feeling the water as it runs over their hands back into the sink. The way they look at you when this happens with wide eyed wonder is the best magic as in that moment they share their wonderment and the connection gained is very precious.
Living in Cycles of the seasons, moon, sun, stars and understanding the meaning of what numerically that brings every year is also deepening our relationships with the heaven and these opening us to deepen our relationship with everyone including the young children around us. So as we are living more in-tune with what is innately within us the Joy and lived wisdom is openly shared on each new cycle and that develops a relationship that comes from our Livingness that is True-Love / Non-imposing-Love and innate within us all.
There is so much magic in life that canât be capitalised on.
In repeating the myths of Father Christmas and the tooth fairy we are teaching our children that it is ok to tell lies. There is magic in going for a walk and finding an acorn and realising that it is a seed that can grow into a magnificent tree.
Appreciation is a key component in every relationship as it builds intimacy and then when we have these two, which can never be separated we are evolving together! Imagine that appreciation of our essences all inclusive, and true-intimacy with our children and we all evolve and then we can take these understanding, which is simply our Livingness to humanity and they get this amazing reflection, now that is the magic of Christ-mass every day.
Yes, there is an appreciation of life and nature that we brush over because we are so busy getting to the next thing on our list. Oh to make space to be in the moment with each other and the wonder of the Universe we live within.
I have learnt more about life from my children than I ever have in the education system and therefore I value the wisdom of children, their questions and the detachment from ideals and beliefs. As a result I know I will be a student of children to the end of my days.
I agree with you Lucy, when my daughter was growing up she always seemed to come out with such gems about life and people you could tell that she was tapping into a wisdom that was beyond her years and later as an adult she has this ability to take something complicated and break it down into the simplicity so that no one is left feeling that they don’t understand the subject being discussed.
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Children are amazingly sensitive it is our job to honour that sensitivity and make sure that that sensitivity is not blocked but nurtured to ensure their own wellbeing and the wellbeing for generations to come.
We are all amazingly sensitive and therefore is it possible because we have not nurtured or honoured the sensitivity we all cannot help but feel we have hardened ourselves and so we go around in a protective shell and because we live so protected it enables us to abuse ourselves and others because of this lost connection to our innate sensitivity
Children are so in the moment with exactly what is there which is themselves and whatever is happening around them. They don’t bring in anything else to impose at all as judgements and comparison are just not a part of their world.
In all the madness and chaos that is our world it is wise and caring to remember the magic we felt as children; the innate sense and insight we had about the world. This helps me see how far we have strayed from what is true and important, whilst also reigniting a spark in me about love and learning.
What I love about being around young children is that the tenderness and care I feel for them inspires me to ‘re-parent’ myself… as in apply the same qualities of holding, support and understanding with myself and then naturally everyone I meet in a day. From my past and choices I have been too quick to judge and criticise, when I now realise that life is all about learning, ongoingly, and to truly learn we need to feel safe and loved.
Keeping magic alive in our lives is gorgeous, I so love magic moments, ‘Feeling a sense of magic in life is very much about nurturing and keeping alive the innocence, sensitivity and openness that children are born with and which, potentially even into adulthood, we can maintain.’
Such a great blog. As I read this I am reminded of an occasion at work where a 3 year old was witnessing another child and an Educator hugging after not seeing each other for a while. The child’s body that was watching, just lit up and she had the most appreciative smile on her face. Then I myself felt this divine exchange and appreciation through her and felt the magic within that simple moment.
‘Be open to the love and light within’. Once this love and light within is felt, being open to it emanating though us is the only thing that makes sense.
‘I have been growing up with my children…’
I have read this article a few times and this phrase landed for me today with a bang. If we let ourselves be in relationships with life as a forever developing process, knowing that every day there are rich opportunities to learn, we will always be growing up.
Well said. It takes the pressure off knowing it all doesn’t it! We grow up together and we unlearn so many things when children come along. Let’s embrace being more open to needing to have all the answers but to settle into wondering and considering together, then we will go to the experience of others and use education in a much more practical way rather than to define who we are and our worth in life.
Could it be that so many have a difficulty with trust because we learned how many untruths our parents told us, such as the tooth fairy, Father Christmas etc….? What do we feel when we find out the truth about these fictitious beings?
As adults, we have lost the ability to see the magic of God all around us and want to recapture those feelings of wonder we had so readily as a child. But what we end up with is a fake, watered down version of a distant memory which we recreate in the hope of feeling that again. What we as adults don’t realise is that the magic of God has never left us, we are the ones that let it go and can just as easily get it back – without making up stories.
I have always felt cheated on when finding out the truth from my parents little white lies. As a kid, I just felt abused and treated like if I didnât exist when finding out the real side of the story
Tonight we were talking about how Coca Cola coined the idea of Father Christmas / and it reminded me how we can impose such a strong belief system in society but in this we forget the truth of things.
Great point and it reminds me to be alert to the source and origin of things rather than just blindly accepting what is on the surface.
The magic of childhood is so much more than just Father Christmas or the tooth fairy. The magic of childhood is being able to see life through the child’s eyes and reconnect to the magic of God in the most simplest of things, just hearing a child giggle to me is up there as one of the most delightful sounds on earth because it brings a smile to our hearts.
Yes, and so infectious one can’t help but smile and laugh too. It can light up a whole rail carriage.
Letting myself be touched by a child’s approach to life reminds me that I too know this relationship with life and that this sparkle is alive in me too.
I just adore how a young baby or child’s eyes can bring us back to magic – their own and ours too.
This is a great reminder to those of us who, as we were leaving our childhood behind took on the seriousness of lifeâŚbut, as you say so wisely âThe magic of childhood does not need to leave us in adulthood.â. It is actually a natural part of us so therefore it never leaves us, we simply bury under all those serious layers, until reminded by the joy of a child and the magic they offer us, we make the choice to access it once again.
Ingrid I love this, it does not need to leave us behind anywhere or at anypoint. The magic is always there, yet like so many others we are told we do leave it behind. That is the great evil that we can eradicate by supporting our kids to be all they are and with that all the magic they are. Of course we have to live that first.
The realisation that the ‘magic of childhood’ has never left us inspires and touches me. And I love it when awe and wonder bust out again!
And the space to be themselves. Yes, Gill, we have a responsibility to nurture these opportunities for children and actually re-parent ourselves with them too.
Just looking into the eyes of the boy in the photograph offers me a well of inspiration and realisation about the richness and depth of our natural connection with each other and our true qualities.
Yes the now and then aspect, magic saved for special occasions is a loss to children as they grow. Being aware of every day amazingness and grandness makes life rich.
Magic lives when we are honouring our sensitivity. Deny it and life feels flat, 2 dimensional…
Being transparent and honest with children is a great foundation for their life. They respond to being respected and treated as equals in this way. To discover that parents you trust have been colluding in the myths and lies about Father Christmas and the tooth fairy etc leaves wariness of the energy of deception and the birth of mistrust with others throughout life is born.
“Being transparent and honest with children” is not only a growing a strong foundation for the life ahead of them, it also has an impact on our lives and on out to the world. For the more we tell the truth, the more truth is rippled out into the world, shaking the evil foundation of the corruption that is so rife wherever we look. An honest world begins with acknowledging and supporting the honesty of our children and living it ourselves.
“The magic of childhood does not need to leave us in adulthood” – agree, magic isn’t assigned to the number of years spent on earth; it can be at every and any age.. it’s how we are within ourselves that initiates this way of being and relating.
Validating a child sense of knowing what is happening in life is raising them in their true essence and nature.
Turns out it is not just for children, as an adult returning to Soul, magic is alive and well and growing as a way of life and being. Magic is there for all of us, it is in a feeling, breathing, being. Stillness holds us and magic unfolds when we begin to be open to it in life.
There is always magic there to behold, both within and without, in the young and the old.
There sure is Chris we just need to be open to it and often it can come at the most unexpected of times!
Yes, and I so love the magic.
“Is it truly a natural progression in life to not feel magic and become cynical as we mature?” – I know for myself that I’m only ever cynical when I am not in-love with love. When I feel love, I feel a magic.
Me too Zofia and it is definitely not a natural progression in life to lose the sense and feeling of magic we feel as children. It is a reality for most but that does not make it normal or natural.
I love this…..”We are the magic…”….I in truth have very little to add….this quote stands elegantly asks us all to consider the truth that we are the magic, will we allow ourselves to feel the divine light that shines from every one of us equally and so not look outside for answers but surrender to what naturally is within.
So much wiser instead of imposing our idea of magic, especially when we are not living it ourselves, to let ourselves be inspired by the everyday magic which children are so open to, reconnect to that for ourselves and to support them in every way to remain in such a love-full relationship with life regardless of the challenges they may face
As children we enjoy being us in life, but it seems as adults we tend to look to life to make us feel alive after we begin to attach to its way rather than our own. Itâs in our own connection we unlock that magic in life.
Its rather depressing when we walk around in a cynical way only seeing the negative in life. I remember those days of magic as a child and be loving every moment that I connected to it. So to be at an age and I can start to feel that coming back with the support of living The Way of The Livingness life is taking a turn for what it is really capable of and not settling for less than what we deserve.
“Is it truly a natural progression in life to not feel magic and become cynical as we mature?” – this is the unfortunate reality when you talk about us becoming cynical about life, other people, as we mature. And what I’ve noted is that there can also be a point where some people who are into their 70s or 80s are not cynical but actually have a quiet yet alive twinkle in their eye which flashes their wisdom; a wisdom that says it’s ok to let go and embrace what is life, there is nothing to prove but to enjoy. The hump of acceptance is the magic.
What I remember that gave me the most joy as a kid was feeling the times when we as a family were together without bickering, fighting or arguing and having fun and playing together.
For me, it was playing games by candlelight when the electricity went out. All of a sudden we would be thrown into darkness and the flashlights and candles would come out along with the board games, and we would play until the lights came back on. What I noticed was how instantly as a family we would be more willing to be with each other, whereas when the TV was on everyone was in their own bubble.
‘I have been growing up with my children for the last nine years and they have shared so much âmagicâ with me and they are part of the reason that I have learned to trust, love and open my heart up to humanity in a deeper way.’ This is so beautiful. I love how you have grown up too with your children and how with them you’ve opened up your heart not just to them but to humanity. This is the magic children can present to us and we can embrace in our lives again.
I absolutely am growing up with them, I have learnt so much about life, from watching them grow, they are so wise, as soon as they are born they feel everything. Being open to this has also enabled me to be much more humble as a parent and really be aware of everyday, humble, simple magic that is around us al the time and in our relationships. I am learning not to take things for granted and appreciating the sparkle in some ones eyes for example. Feeling how beautiful someone is for being them with no trying. I also feel this letting go of cynicism as I grow with them, I use words like, joy, play, loving, innocence and not just relate it to them but myself also, as a 40 something woman that is amazing to feel and claim.
I find a lot of children in towns and cities do not have much exposure to nature, to fields and trees, wild plants and animals. This makes them divorced from the food that they eat, not knowing what a chicken looks like with feathers on or what kind of character it might have and where and how things live and grow and what goes into looking after them. They might have stories read to them but there is nothing like actually being out in nature, on a farm for example and breathing the air and feeling the space – the grandness of the sky and the broad horizons.
I remember both of my children when they were small, used to come out with such wise words that were way beyond their years and used to wonder how on earth they knew what they were saying. But moments such as these are to be treasured, appreciated in full and honoured, as our children, still largely untainted by life, are so often still deeply connected to the truth of who they are. We would do well to listen and learn from our younger generations.
Innately we all have a knowing the there is magic in life but because of choices we have made we have lost our connection with it and therefore need the surrogates like the Tooth Fairy, Father Christmas and Disneyland in our pursuit to give any substance to that magic we know our life should be.
Spontaneity is a natural gift for us all, yet children are the ones that use it, and use it they do. I love the spontiatiy from children – no pre judging no analysing – just following those inner impulses, this is super joyful to watch.
I agree, and they also do not hang on to things, but move on, let go and are in the moment, I am inspired and feel access to magic, by being in the moment. And so this spontaneity and in the moment way of living, is definitely seen in children, but we adults can choose to live more in this way, but is a choice, because we can get out of practice…thinking we need to do duty, battle through life and do it hard with cynicism…none of the choices make life any more simple, they make it more painful. WE can live without the cynicism and with the magic, but it is for sure something to nurture, build and grow. Life still happens and yes things can sometimes be tricky…but the work gets done, with a lot less the pain, torment and strife.
There is magic naturally in children which we donât fully appreciate or have so buried in ourselves that we donât know how to be with that ourselves. So, we end up offering a cheap copy of magic that is the special, bought moments of Easter and Christmas etc. Living the little moments of magic each day is vital for it not to become something we miss and reinterpret from childhood.
When we live in appreciation of the magic that life brings we will not need any Father Christmas, Disneyland or the like.
Having a child has been the biggest learning curve I have ever been on, it teachers us so much about ourselves from the reflection we get but also the times I have had to take a really honest look at myself to get to the truth of a situation so that it suits all of us and not just me me me.
The joy, magic, aliveness and divinity of childhood naturally reflecting heaven is often ignored, dulled and not acknowledged when in fact it is there for us to learn by and see who we truly are and the reflection of this magical light we all are. Being with a child opens our hearts naturally and it is up to us weather we allow and appreciate this or not.
“I have been growing up with my children” – this is a very honest and refreshing statement from a parent and one that is worth taking heed of.
I have been inspired by others to be more humble in life, this does not mean bowing my head, but paying attention to what there is to learn in life and always being open to learn and I sense that as parents, we have the opportunity to re-parent ourselves as we parent our children and learn from them as they equally learn from us.
When you’re a child, everything is magical, from the first taste of a fruit, to learning how to use a knife and fork. It is a huge lesson to not take life for granted when there is so much wonder to be felt. Just the other evening I stepped outside after work, it was late and the stars where out, it was cold but in a beautifully crisp way and it smelt like a fresh autumn evening and i just took a moment to stop and breathe it in and appreciate something simply but magical.
I can sense and feel what you describe, it is so important be aware of what is around us and not check out and go from A to B without smelling the roses or looking at the night sky etc….
It saddens me when I see Gorgeous alive sparks of love light and Joy being crushed by societies ânormsâ . If we are to nurture a child in a way that truly supports them to be everything they are these babes of wisdom naturally share so much and we have a chance once more to re learn lifeâs delicatelicies and universal joy.
It really is fascinating how as we grow this magic gets left behind so quickly and as you say the cynical nature becomes the dominating way of living life. Itâs no wonder illness and dis-ease is out of control and on the rise year on year when we have disconnected to who we are.
Magic is most definitely all around us, the other day I saw two dragon flies mating as they flew through the air, then two days later I came into my study and there were 7 baby dragon flies! Totally different location, that’s magic right there.
Examining nature so we understand the magic of the symbolism is such a blessing and we should be aware of what is happening, as it is usually a great confirmation.
“Feeling a sense of magic in life is very much about nurturing and keeping alive the innocence, sensitivity and openness that children are born with and which, potentially even into adulthood, we can maintain.” So true. This innocence is key to remaining open to the magic that life has to offer.
It’s great to be able to use the presence or seeming absence of the magic of life to feel how immersed we have chosen to be in a way of life which is not of love. I can feel this when I see the light in the sky and clouds, if my heart does not sing, I’m off track.
The magic of childhood contains joy. We need to support kids to maintain it and not to become withdrawn and given up as they enter teenagehood and adulthood.
My husband and I have very much decided to raise our children to know the truths of the world and for them to come to us and feel they can ask anything and receive an honest answer. It also includes letting them feel and know energy from a young age.
Feeling energy is vital, children feel it and we can be inspired to be more sensitive to it, by observing and supporting them.
This is a great point, I also parent with my children aware of how life is not just the planet, this includes having frank but gentle conversation about the realities that they come up against, so not creating rose tinted glasses to try and deal with what is not true. When you honour that they are sensitive beings first and energy is first then they get to feel the magic naturally and know what ever yuck is going on or they see in the world, although it can sometimes be scary, if you stay connected to the magic the yuck can not in truth knock you. You can hold more steady in the face of it. The example of TV, if we have TV, which we do, a nature program about a family of elephants and finding out that a elephant getting its leg caught in a trap from a poacher, learning about animals and human behaviour and the beauty of nature, or watching a fantasy a cartoon with drama and fighting, a bit of emotional relationships, being told a prince will save you (if you are a girl), that you need to be rough like boys to get ahead (if you are a girl) , that you need to be stronger than anyone else (if you are a boy) and then the baddie gets got at the end, so all about right and wrong, not understanding each other…this is a classic Disney special, a so called feel good movie, with â magicâ and with a story line that is repeated again and again….I moderate TV but I would rather they grow knowing life and nature in person and on TV than, being drawn in and lost in stories that are not so feel good and inform and influence their future relationships and attitudes to life.
I agree the more honest I am the more magic I feel also.
So true Gill. Going for a walk that takes ten minutes can last 30 minutes or so – due to the fascination children find in the detail of the world around them – the magic that is in the everyday.
“Could it be that âmagicâ is right there in front of our eyes in all moments, at all times of the year?” Magic is there every day if we open our eyes and see and feel around us., regardless of whether we live in the countryside or in a town.
Could it be that we stop listening to our bodies and taking care of what our bodies need as adults, and so allow ourselves to get so worn down and worn out by life that we stop seeing the magic that is all around us? And so, could the key to start seeing the magic again be in taking deep care of ourselves, in very simple ways?
There is a constant magic to everyday of our life. But if we have chosen to ignore it and disconnect from feeling – well, itâs understandable we create poor quality fabrications to take its place.
Children offer us all a reflection of learning in innocence and wonder of the world that we could do well to return to sooner rather than later.
Staying alive and awake to the wonders and marvels of life restores and maintains our relationship with the bigger picture. There is no need to leave childlike wonder behind as we become adults.
Matilda, this is gold as the one thing I got upset about growing up was leaving the magic I felt as a child behind. I love to bring that wonderment back into life about everything.
“…as parents is it possible that we can be somewhat reliant on cultural mythologies and savvy marketing campaigns to bring an element of âmagicâ to our childrenâs lives ââ but what are they really experiencing?” – often those marketing campaigns, Santa grotos, winter wonderlands in all their fantastical-ness are substitutes for real love, if there was true love at home then a family’s every day would be filled with natural magic and thus make the prior marketed love redundant.
We would do well to study the nature of children, more so than some PHD’s for in the innocent nature of a child we will always find true joy.
If we are not feeling the magic of who we are and why we are here – we ought to stop and ponder why. For so many of us seek poor substitutes to try to replace our natural feeling of wonder.
“appreciating magic in our lives has a lot to do with appreciating the gold that is in our lives on a daily basis” This is so true and beautiful and looking into the eyes of another you see the magic shine from within us all in our connection and joy of the oneness and essence of our soul. Children do indeed glow with the magic of their essence that is so visible and lights up the world reflecting this for all to feel in every moment.
I’m sure most children would not really be interested in presents or Disneyland if they were feeling truly met and appreciated for who they are. Many parents indulge their children in gifts, theme parks and entertainment to appease the guilt they can feel. Children crave connection and the best thing is it doesn’t cost a cent, society can place too much value on external things when in truth our connection to our essence and to others is our greatest gift.
Just the other day I picked up my daughter from school and we were driving home when we passed a mother deer with two little spotted fawns. I had a lot of things I wanted to do when we got home, but something told me to back up and watch the deer together. What unfolded was the most joyful display as the two fawns literally started hopping and dancing around their mother, running in circles and having a good-ole-time, basically. They looked so gentle and delicate with their spindly little legs. It reminded me how when we appreciate these beautiful moments displayed by Nature it can help us tap into the same qualities within ourselves.
We used to buy far too many presents for the kids when they were little, and often they would sit for hours in the living room with the big boxes the gifts came in. This is a subject that really deserves talking about; not only why we lie but what are we trying to achieve by spoiling our children at Christmas and birthdays.
What we do, buy or have is transient and disappears â true connection and being met for who we are is ever-lasting and that includes all our lives because where we are going back to has not ever not held us in this stead.
Commercialised ‘magic’ in the shape of Disneyland, the tooth fairy and Santa Claus are but paltry and totally inept stand ins for true everyday magic and being met for who we are â in full, if at all possible. But coming from what we have descended into, even just being respected and decently treated is a great start.
I work with vulnerable children and their families, children who have all had a very challenging start to their lives. Today two of them had birthdays and the visiting parents brought in presents, very expensive and very big. The children of course were absolutely delighted to begin with but it didnât take long to observe that they began to play with the bubble wrap and the boxes leaving the rather flashy toys sitting on the floor. It got me to wondering whether we actually buy the presents with the child in mind or whether we buy them to fulfill some need of our own?
A great blog to ponder on and I totally get how we have disempowered ourselves by aligning with certain days of celebrations as a way of making the magic happen. To be able to step away from this conditionings and to actually connect to the magic that is within on a daily basis has changed everything in the way that I am and with people. Life feels rich and true and has a depth that I never knew was possible thanks to being inspired by Universal Medicine and the principles of The Way of The Livingness.
We cannot complain or moan of the consequences when we choose to lie to our children. How can our children learn to trust in the world when their very own father and mother has lied to them? The child that hangs on to the tooth fairy or still believes in Father Christmas when they are about to enter high school has trusted, it is no wonder they can feel distraught when they are told the truth not because they think they won’t get any more presents but because the closest people to them lied to them and they listened. How does this way of being then support our kids in life?
Again we have bastardised what is innate within us, the ability to feel life and the wonder of divine order and harmony.
I agree, simply and accurately expressed, it is harmful to continue this line of illusion and not be honest about its consequences.
‘This has got me pondering why, as parents, we so easily fall into the behaviours of the generations before us…’ it is almost unimaginable how much life would change if we cracked this – every generation has had the chance to learn lessons to return to a truly harmonious way of living impulsed by our Soul for thousands of years. Isn’t it about time we took notice of the repeated ills and worsening health of humanity and stopped repeating what obviously has not worked for so long.
Thank you for expanding our awareness of how magic can be in our lives.
I agree, it is simply is there everyday if we chose to be aware of it. And in our house we still hangout together at Christmas and birthdays, it is great to get together and share a meal etc, but we are continuing discarded the activities that do not support us. This feels like it supports our every day connection and vining of the magic of life
‘Is it truly a natural progression in life to not feel magic and become cynical as we mature?’ i have felt this before with my own past tendency to have to ‘take things seriously’. We miss so much in doing this, of the magic of life and of people.
“…appreciating magic in our lives has a lot to do with appreciating the gold that is in our lives on a daily basis and being as open, sincere and honest as we can be in our relationships” – appreciating magic, is the appreciation of knowing of who we truly are and being this true in every moment we possibly can.
I love the responsibility to be a role model of magic ! What joyful fun is there to be explored and discovered.
The magic of childhood is that it is just so so simple! And the magic of adulthood is that it can be the same!
The more I connect to my essence the more free I feel and the more ‘childlike’. There is playfulness and space that is felt in moving in the connection as all that used to inhibit, such as ideal and believes are simply not there.
The magic of childhood can be made into the magic of adulthood just as easily, but it requires that we are not so serious and wound up by life, it requires us to be open and surrendered to the fact that life may not always turn out the way we would like it to – and when we do that, we get to see the true magic of the everyday.
That is surely the most precious gift of all that we can give our children and that is to see them for who they truly are and not try and mould them as most of us were.
A beautiful sharing of the magic of life of all ages and the appreciation of how we can support each other in bringing the love trust openness and beauty we all are with one another and the true magic this allows.
This is a stunning summary of how we can truly support each other in relationships and should be the birthright of every child.
Yes there is no textbook or course you can study that can teach you this.
One of the greatest lessons I have learnt as a parent is realising how my children can teach and show me as much about life as I can show them.
Magic for me is in a flower, its delicate beauty, the gradients of colour, the inner part that is revealed as the petals unfold and, particularly if it is a rose, the exquisite scent.
There is nothing more inspiring than to live consistently the love that we are, as parents, children, family or friends.
Children give permission to adults to feel all we were born with.
Children have eyes of wonder, I am often in awe of children of how open, honest and in the moment they are, we can learn so much from our little friends.
I have been observing how people change when there is a young child around. It is like they give themselves permission to look silly and just be themselves. It is beautiful to watch.
I love the idea of taking a moment to look at life through the eyes of a child, what if we always lived like this – coming fresh to each moment? I think it would be quite life-changing.
Too me there is a magic of childhood that we as adults have forgotten and the reason for this is may be we have forgotten because for many of us it was denied to us? Our hearts should melt at the sight of new born babies or children playing together running around and giggling as they play, as this is what is so magical about them. The ease they have in their bodies and the natural un-abashed freedom, they are so loose limbed and gorgeous and this is what we need to cherish in them so that they grow up knowing that this is who they are.
Playing with my niece this evening, I am just blown away by the divinity, magic and joy I see in her, she inspires me to the hilt.
When I connect with her and look into her eyes I am reminded of all the magnificence of the universe and the pure love of God.
“as parents is it possible that we can be somewhat reliant on cultural mythologies and savvy marketing campaigns to bring an element of âmagicâ to our childrenâs lives ââ but what are they really experiencing?” this is a very sobering question for any parent, or come to that, auntie, uncle or grandparent, to really consider what we think of and hold as ‘magic’. I know I would prefer as a child (as I do an adult) to be seen for who I truly am, be listened to and know I’d be met with honesty in my questioning. There is then more space and more magic to enjoy the party, celebration and moments together.
Children show us the beauty of discovery, experimentation and play – yet we think we have to know it all and have everything planned. Weâve got this parenting thing so wrong.
So true. The universe in which we live is forever expanding and life is forever inviting us to do the same. In this regards children reflect a far wiser way of relating to life than the control obsessed way us adults seem to limit ourselves.
If we were open to the fact that every relationship offers a space for both parties to learn, expand and evolve, we would be so much more honouring of the wonderful reflection we do get from our children as well as know how we can support them without diminishing the natural ‘beauty of discovery, experimentation and play” and in the process learn a thing or two ourselves.
The actual âmagic of childhoodâ is the fact that babies and young children are still very connected to their essence. The false magic we foster through Santa and the tooth fairy feels like a cheap compensation for the loss and/or squashing of the magic that was naturally there in their essence.
Yes, it is this innocence of a child that is so precious and needs to be nurtured and honoured and not squashed and abused.
A beautiful sharing on the true magic of life and the reflection of childhood in its joy and simplicity showing us this clearly to live and not resist in every moment with and aliveness and wonder that can continue and be reclaimed in us all gracefully.
As the adults in our childrenâs lives, all we need to do is stand back and never let go. What I mean by this is that we must give the child enough room to move without us imposing our ideals, beliefs and expectations on them, as must we also never let go loving them. Not the suffocating emotional kind that leaves both parties feeling bound and trapped but through a true beholding love that lets another know they are never alone nor are they expected to conform to an ideal of no truth to it.
So we could say our job as adults is to let go of our ideals and beliefs but never let go of our love.
Very beautiful Liane Mandalis, I love the feel of flow, interaction and harmony in this comment. It can feel stifling and like a dead end when we get caught in doing things like we think we should do as parents, a great counter to that apparent paralysis.
We have relegated magic to childhood and in doing so, have done ourselves a massive injustice. Magic should be a bog standard part of all of our lives, so much so that we actually do away with the need to use the word at all.
‘…we so easily fall into the behaviours of the generations before us and knowingly perpetuate the cultural myths of the Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas etc. as if there is not other way of bringing up our children…’ What if, there is another way, another way that holds a deeper magic – but might seemingly seem ordinary because it’s such a natural part of us that we don’t stop to wonder at the beauty and joy of all the simplicity right there, right in front of us.
It’s clear from reading this that it is our choice as parents to keep the lies going from generation to generation. It may seem like harmless fun but is it really?
Its ridiculous to think that we can emulate the magic of God that is around us all the time with incidences occurring to bring our attention to it every day if we are willing to notice. Children are so much more attuned to this magic and they can be our teachers in this respect. Their questions as to how things work, and why things are the way they are, are all opportunities to explore the magic of the Universe. To automatically answer a child or even to feel that we have to have all the answers is not honouring the being that is in front of us, it is diminishing to both of us. To keep up the myths that have been conjured up like that of Father Christmas what does that really do for us? A great conversation and an opportunity to look deeper…
Raising children with magic and letting them experience magic within themselves, starts by parents living that magic themselves.
‘Are we already clouded by a cultural idea that thinks that we can not maintain and live with a wonder and magic of life at any age? Is it truly a natural progression in life to not feel magic and become cynical as we mature?’ – great question and one which our society affirms as a resounding yes. By having these fabricated rituals such as Father Christmas, Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy, we are confirming to ourselves that we need to create magic in life, dismissing the truth that life already abounds with magic – we just have to be open to receiving it.
Itâs interesting how we undoubtably know how magical childhood is, but we tend to forget that sense of magic when we grow up into adulthood, I wonder if part of it is because we come accustomed to what is around us and we stop exploring, not so much outwards, but exploring what wonders actually lie within us – and how we start to unfold them.
Without the honesty of where we are at in life we cannot discern the truth of things and appreciate the magic versus the illusion.
Gorgeous what is presented here in the magic being in the quality and not the big events – quality can be a daily thing we build on and really makes me appreciate the wisdom and beauty that children naturally carry.
I agree, we must appreciate the parents who raise their children in that way, it is inspiring for those who are willing to take a moment to look in a child’s eyes and see the magic of the universe alive and well.
How delicious would it be to be an adult that reflects the joy of life, the play-full-ness that is available to us all even though there are times that are a bit more difficult than others.
“I suggest that appreciating magic in our lives has a lot to do with appreciating the gold that is in our lives on a daily basis and being as open, sincere and honest as we can be in our relationships.”
We all have a choice to see the opportunity in everything that presents itself or we can choose to let it take us down – the choice is alway ours. When we truly see the opportunity we can not but see and feel the magic in life.
I am glad you have said this ‘if you donât have a child near you, it works just as well with an adult.’ as although it sometimes maybe easier and so transparent to be able to see the magic and sparkle in a child’s eyes it is in fact within each and everyone of us â¨
We like to create stories and fables in life, but all they do is block out our light. They need not be true – unless we choose to create and cement them in.
“Just take a moment and look into a childâs eyes without expectation or a guard.” As I read this beautiful proposal, I felt how we are guarded as a general rule even to the innocent beauty of a child’s love. “without expectation or a guard” is something to take consciously into my day, spotting the expectations, which in themselves are a kind of protection and control.
Yeah, that is something small babies are masters of being fully with you, present, really staring at you connecting. How we are with this reveals a lot of how we are with intimacy and connection with ourselves.
True to form when we are not looking things are introduced to make certain days seem more magical than others so we are distracted from the magic that all the Masters of The Ageless Wisdom have always taught is available when we are connected to our Essence, Inner-most, Esoteric and or Soul, which are all one in the same so it is simply up to us to choose our connection and then live in the Magic of God.
I just love looking into the eyes of the child in the picture above, as the whole of the universe can be seen and felt deep within them and cannot be denied.
The magic of childhood can be experienced every day of our life if we do not disconnect from our true essence.
It really struck me how our theme parks and the like are our attempts to produce on demand the inherent magic in life and nature. However it is missing the one and important ingredient, the connection with our inner hearts and joy. Replacing it with a very poor second of a momentary sense of stimulation and excitement.
The magic of childhood is truly beautiful and we are treasuring this even greater than ever before at the moment with our granddaughter of just two years and the spontaneous joy and sparkle in her reflecting to us who we really are inside also and the simplicity and honesty of feeling everything and expressing it.
“The magic of childhood” – is rekindled through our knowing and living of love. Because in this we come to know and feel again the absolute purity of those younger years in our making of maturing years where our magic deepens.
It is very sad to see how as we get older we become very cynical about life. And for some of us the rot sets in quite early and we become very grey to look at. I saw someone just like this recently and as he had experience in the army in a very tough war zone at a very young age, I could understand why for him he has decided to shut down. We do not fully appreciate the stress that being in a war zone has and the long term lasting effect it has on the men and women involved and how this then impacts their families and lives going forward.
“Is it truly a natural progression in life to not feel magic and become cynical as we mature?” The answer to this is an absolute NO, if we keep open and make Love our first priority we can not but see the magic in life – always.
Children offer us a much fresher and clearer reflection that what we get used to at work and in our social circles.
There is a huge consciousness surrounding parenting. How to give to the child. But that all feels empty as when I truly connect with myself and my child, everything is already there, we can both fill it. This goes the same with any relationship.
The magic of life is when we feel full of joy and the beauty of something right there before us and inside of us that lifts us into wonderment. Seeing a butterfly, a full blown rose, or having the penny drop in a ah ha moment, are all magical that we may not always appreciate.
A real sharing on the amazing magic that is in our everyday moments in our lives for us to treasure and appreciate with the innocence of our children an open heart and the glory of simplicity and the divineness of us all.
Reading this is like opening the door on the magic that’s in our every day and each relationship if we choose to be open, honest and loving. I’ve observed people who hold onto their stuff aren’t so honest and the magic of life isn’t seen. If we do not feel the magic we miss it and try to make up for it often through focusing on making special occasions special which can be fraught with stress and the fear of disappointment. Appreciating the magic of the everyday is a lovely way to be. There are so many examples, some could be seen as mishaps but actually are blessings.
Telling kids things like, âBe good or Santa wonât be comingâ is actually a way of cursing them and moulding them to be a certain way that ticks the parent’s own boxes.
I totally agree Susie, having been told that as I felt that same way – good or bad versus being true.
Could it be that the so called magic we present to our children such as the Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas are just a mere introduction to the lies we live as a society all together.
Do we really celebrate our birthday for being graceful for yet another round around the sun in which we have evolved back to more of who we are, or do we celebrate because of the cake, the attention and the presents we then get and get exited by?
So beautifully expressed, are we not connecting with the magic in life when we confirm and appreciate our connection to our innermost, nature and others?
To stay alive to the magic in every moment is something we could all give care and attention to. Deadening our awareness is a crime against ourselves and humanity.
What we call magic is actually our natural state of being, living in the magic of multidimensional life. And magic we call magic because we have collectively chosen to not let it be a natural part of our lives
True Nico, we are then re-making magic normal.
So well said Nico. Understanding this it makes it clear to see that we have come so far away from what was once a very natural way of being, and how much we have lost as a result. But thank goodness for Serge Benhayon who is showing us all how we can bring this multidimensionality and magic back into our lives simply by the way we live and through our day ot day choices.
So true, the bigger aspect of this is what we reflect to others, if we all collude it has no magic in life scenario, this is something that we are consciously or unconsciously telling others. Magic is not flimsy, an optional extra, a frill to life, it is life, when we appreciate this, we sparkle and when we sparkle others feel it.
This is exactly what I’m experiencing: that magic is life, not an add on, treat or something special to look forward to. It’s all around us, all the time, and the more awake and aware we are, and appreciate it, the more it seemingly appears- but really is just a reflection of what our focus has been on.
Realising we’re not raising children, but children are raising us equally is a life lesson to be reflected in all relationships.
Observe this. One child meets a group of two for the first time her cousins, connection is instant, a natural knowing, they play and fall into a flow all is easy and joyful. Pure magic.
Feeling magic in the everyday is a beautiful thing.
You only have to look at any city streets when they are busy with pedestrians to see and feel that there is very little joy in how people move and interact – compare then to a playground of children – where does the joy go?
This is a very needed blog to have the conversation about the magic in life and how every single one of us has this within, yet to some extent it is allowed for children but seems to be something only for children and as adults we grow out of it, like it is a childhood experience only, and for some children only short lived. Yet it is residing is us ALL, ALWAYS.
I love this statement: ‘Feeling a sense of magic in life is very much about nurturing and keeping alive the innocence, sensitivity and openness that children are born with and which, potentially even into adulthood, we can maintain.’
I have sometimes in anger come out and said something to my daughter that would have been said to me and been quite shocked until realising where that would have come from. It is true we can fall into what has come before us with tradition, so it is up to us to cherry pick the true from the untrue and move forward learning all the time what works and what doesn’t.
So true. The magic of our childhood does not have to leave us and in truth it never does, it just gets buried under our experiences but can be resurrected in its full glory when we are encouraged to re-connect to our inner essence and love our selves again.
What are we teaching children when we have to create magic through lies? Doesn’t that rob them from knowing the true magic of the world?
This article is very powerful. The notion of our children seeing that we are ‘work-in-progess’ is huge. I remember with my parents, I almost never saw them work through their stuff, admit that they’d got it wrong, be transparent or vulnerable, share or discuss anything that they were working through…and so I grew up with this notion that the adult was the finished article. This is a huge trap for judgement to leap into. For if we are the finished article and we don’t like what we see then of course we are going to judge and condemn. This has been one of the great blessings of what Universal Medicine has taught me; that we are all always ‘work in progress’ and thus there is absolutely no logic in judgement.
I can also relate to your family life of growing up that is was just a process to teach us the end product of what our role models were reflecting. School for me was a basic book education for the tools you would require. Graduating school was the open door to adulthood, now get out of the nest and fall or fly. Learning that we are always a work in progress is never too late to learn, but what if we lived that way every day?
Opening up to the magic of children, allowing myself to feel the equality with them, helps me bust the arrogance of my spirit.
If the magic of every moment was lived then no sweets, no treats, no obesity. If the magic of every moment was lived, no screen time, no distraction, no escape. If the magic of every moment was lived no social media. If the magic of every moment was lived no jealousy, competition or comparison….the list goes on…but it makes parenting seem rather simple?!
How could we ever not be in awe of the wisdom in the eyes of the the child in this photo? The mind-blowing arrogance of “adults know better”
“Could it be that âmagicâ is right there in front of our eyes in all moments, at all times of the year?” Yes forget birthdays, Christmas and any other ‘event’ – everyday in every way we have the opportunity to celebrate the glory of love and who we are.
It hurts to imagine a life where magic is reserved for special days, when we know it lives within us and around us each and everyday.
“… the people I have around to reflect something to learn and appreciate, the rainbow in a raindrop ..” – love your observation of people, and the way you capture the wonder of the rain in a raindrop, it feels exquisite and has me marvelling in the beauty that is present in our everyday whatever the weather.
‘Knowing that their parents are role-modelling letting go of their âstuffâ so that together they can be more loving, because living with love is more important to them than holding on to any âstuff.â’ Even if our children are adults, as we evolve and grow, so too will they see us and have an opportunity to evolve and grow with us.
The magic of childhood is simply Godâs love. A delicious elixir we soon forget the taste and smell of when we allow ourselves to be tempted by all that the human-created world offers to dull our senses to such beauty.
Such a brilliant sharing a total myth buster! Aging is not found in father xmas! And how cool we are really starting to live in a way that brings appreciation for the every day magic in our lives.
I totally agree with what youâve shared about magic or appreciation not being limited to birthdays, Christmas or events. Every moment deserves magic.
Knowing what true magic is totally exposes the created ‘magic’ we want to bring to our children by going to a Disney movie or park etc. When I was a child I was scared of all these things, I did not like people in suits dressed up like Disney figures and I was afraid of the TV so I never saw this as magic and it very much shows how it is not true magic. True magic is never scary to anyone because it is who we are and where we are from, we know it inside out.
Even if they are ‘good ones’, telling lies to children only teaches them one thing…. It’s acceptable!
Absolutely Michael. And there is no degree of lies, no small ones, no white ones, no porky pies….it is a binary choice. But we need to be really honest here and understand that the verbal lies coming out of our mouths are just the tip of the iceberg; our movements, our choices, the intention behind what we are saying….and then, the big one, what we DON’T say. There are many, many ways to lie.
The magic of life is there in every day and does not have to be confined to particular celebrations in order to fully appreciate how much we bring to each other and the world each day of our lives. It is a joy that can be celebrated every day, not necessarily with cake and balloons, but in how we greet, appreciate and enjoy each other’s company.
This is such a beautiful article, and a great reminder to appreciate the magic of life in the same way children do: ‘I suggest that appreciating magic in our lives has a lot to do with appreciating the gold that is in our lives on a daily basis and being as open, sincere and honest as we can be in our relationships.’
“Being open to the wonder and magic of life as an adult is a way of role-modelling the quality we so seek to sustain within our children.” This makes so much sense as adults we have the responsibility to keep life light, bright and full of wonder.
Being open to the wonder and magic of life brings a lightness to life and I’ve found it has developed an appreciation for everything that is here to support us.
I can feel this too Rosanna – I had made life so serious and felt many things as a burden that letting go of this and reconnecting to the lightness in me and life feels liberating and an invitation to explore deeper.
Flatness is a great description, I have had this sense around Christmas, it never in fact delivers what it promises and every year we seek more food, presents and spectacle to make it even âbetterââŚwe can have a beautiful Christmas period when many of us are on holiday or off work for a few days, if we make it about relationships, community and connection.
In can remember those days when my children where young and we had âSinterklaasâ in the Netherlands. As parents we all know it is a play, but make it for our children a reality. And what I felt afterwards in myself is that I wanted the excitement I had experienced as a child with âSinterklaasâ to be equally available to my children too. But this was in complete neglect of all the moments I felt so disappointed when the event was over, but more so about the feeling of being tricked, lied about and treated as a little child in which the age old being was not respected.
Actually when I reflect back to my youth, being a child in my family, the moments that really stayed with me as they really mattered are the moments we were together just simply at a dinner or on an occasional day we went out for a trip. It is because of the warm connection that was there in those moments and which I, now 55 years later, still can feel in me because they where true.
As a Grandmother I see the wonderful magic that childhood brings to us all through simple connection and play. These innocent and simple games and observations children use teach us so much about life in an uncomplicated way .
And then you can feel it a lot, even at any time.
Compared to the magic that is available at any time, Christmas and other events pale into significance but we can still enjoy those festivities as many people are more open during those times and those times can be fun.
Yes Christoph, we simply have to enjoy the time being together but not succumb to the false images these so called special days are laced with as these images will never fulfil or sustain.
Children are such a wonderful reflection and reminders of who we really are. This essence is often concealed as an adult under a thin layer of âlifeâ. I love to observe adults being silly, playful, spontaneous with kids and see their faces and hearts light up as they reconnect to the joy of life rather than the drudgery or stress many of us have settled for as the norm.
In our home the Christmas presents were brought by the ‘Christ child’ and announced by the ring of a little bell. Because we never got to see or hear the Christ child enter or leave the house I imagined it to be a kind of ball of light that swooshed in and out, not even associating the words ‘Christ child’ with Jesus or a person or anything human. It was only as an adult that the words actually started to get any meaning, but obviously the story made even less sense.
Wow! I never heard this version of the story. In our house I remember the year when my Dad put wellington boots in the fire ash and walked the footprints up the stairs to make it look more realistic, more magic. When I consider this now it is so clear where the intention behind this comes from. If we are not seeing and living the magic of God, then we feel the need to invent our own.
“…selling us short-term solutions and investments when it comes to the âmagicâ of life, rather than us having to look with honesty at the cynicism, reactions and hard shells that we develop as we grow into adults?” Yep, undoubtably, and with a totally planned, marketing strategy to ensure we, as adults, do not re-connect back to the magic in life and that it leads to.
The magic that is so alive in our children when they are young is something that needs and deserves to be deeply cherished and nurtured, and not denied and dismissed.
Agreed Sandra and surely that magic does not need to end when we get older but merely get more expansive, something that is rare and in many ways unheard of but something that I’ve seen in Serge and others who live the true magic everyday.
What if instead of trying to provide a magical time for our children, we simply honoured the clairsentience, the awareness and the magic that they are innately in touch with and if allowed would express? And let our children be the reflections that support us reawaken those qualities which we have shut down in ourselves.
I fully appreciate the deliberateness in your starting words “I have been growing up with my children for the last nine years” â we grow immensely though the blessing of children, these words show me you hold them as equal, that between you you reflect the love that you are and learn and deepen your relationships from that; that the wisdom in their little bodies is as wise and as ageless as your own.
Very true Rosanna and what a blessing it is to allow our selves to continue to expand, grow and become more of who we are alongside our children, to share in the wonder of discovering and knowing who we are together. Pure joy!
I love being around children as they are so full of the magic of God that is so missing in this world of ours. That just to watch them skip around and play with such utter confidence and pure joy is a balm on my heart.
Equally, the magic of God lives within us and is around us. It is for us to connect to it so we inspire others in the same way we are inspired by children.
“Knowing that their parents are role-modelling letting go of their âstuffâ so that together they can be more loving, because living with love is more important to them than holding on to any âstuff.â ” – showing them that there is no point in accumulating any ‘luggage’ but instead keeping things light or travelling light.
Life is naturally magical, the fact that so many of us have made it mundane is a pure reflection of how thoroughly weâve trashed it.
Yes and how true intelligence is to come back to the simplicity we knew as a child before it was devalued by layers and layers of ‘must do’s.
Imagine a gift from someone that honours your beingness and appreciates your light, instead of feeling a duty to give you something special, that you are happy in the end. You will feel the difference immediately in your body. The magic between two people already lived, will have a gift as a result, that confirms this connection and nothing that needs to excite or entertain the other person.
You are actually taking children for a fool, if you talk with them about a tooth fairy or Santa Claus. It is a degrading and attack on their wisdom and clear sense. They know instantly that these things don´t exist, but get told the opposite all the time, because the parents think they have to offer something special. Maybe because ” everyone does it” sneaks in also. But what if “everyone” says yes to less awareness and it is time to change that and listen to the children’s widsom instead of entertaining someone who doesn´t want to be entertained?
âBe good or Santa wonât be comingâ, whilst my parents never used that one on me, at the age of six when I found out from my older sister that Father Christmas was a lie, I was mad firstly at my parents lying to me and secondly to the fact that I got taken in by the so-called magic, wonder and mystery of this story. Probably, in truth I knew deep down something about this didn’t add up and I felt so foolish for believing it. My first question back to my sister on receiving this shocking news was, ‘is God real’. I was relieved to hear that her answer was yes, but the whole situation made me really frustrated and cross with my parents and the colluding of everyone holding up the Father Christmas lie.
Interesting how the lying about Father Christmas by exposing its untruth, seeded forth mistrust. Through this creation of Father Christmas and the moment we as children then know that it is a lie- we get communicated as children that you cannot believe in higher forms of existences, like God. Isn´t that interesting, that this connection gets already tainted from young on through this manmade creations, like Father Christmas??
Great article. What you are sharing here feels really true; ‘When we reflect on our experiences, it is our relationships and moments of connection that have true meaning â not what we buy, do or have.’ looking back at my childhood it wasn’t the material things or the ‘big events’ that I remember Fondly, it was the play, enjoying being me and the connections with friends and family, this is what was important.
When we reconnect to all the glory of the Universe we become aware of the magic of God all around us – whatever age we are.
Rather than us as adults contriving and imposing our version of what we think magic is we should observe and listen more closely to the magic that children innately know and express.
A beautiful sharing and understanding of the real magic in our lives .”Feeling a sense of magic in life is very much about nurturing and keeping alive the innocence, sensitivity and openness that children are born with and which, potentially even into adulthood, we can maintain.”
Childhood is a great time to explore the magic of God as it is in everything we do. I remember so many times walking in the local woods with my daughter when she was a child and the games we played and the fun we had. We would walk for hours in the woods at the week ends with the dogs, we never got bored there was always so much to do and explore. To me this is the best childhood climbing trees, making camps, kicking up the fallen leaves in the Autumn, sliding down huge steep hills on our bottoms, squelching around in muddy puddles the list is endless and then coming home naturally tired from having so much fun. This type of childhood is lost to so many children who have been enticed/ encouraged to be so distracted by an electronic gadget forgetting what is on offer all around us.
The magic you speak about for children can only be imparted if parents feel this magic first in their lives and reflect it naturally. So parents perhaps First need to be parented before our children.
Wise words Adele, everyone wins when we connect to our essence and live this magic out into the world.
It is a travesty that so many people imagine a magical moment to be a pay rise, winning the lottery, fame, retiring or the next holiday. All to do with some perception of reward landing on our lap. Yet as this blog covers so beautifully life is abundant with magical moments when we choose to be open and engage with our All. We need to ask ourselves if we want to bring up the next generations to be in the same situation we are finding ourselves in our own lives.
I love the moments when the spark and magic of our ‘inner child’ light up and all seriousness and burdens are lifted and exposed for the self-chosen imposition they are. To share that with our children is a great joy.
What children can reflect to us daily is the choice we often make as adults to ignore that the magic and awe they experience is offered to all in abundance if we choose to.
True and we can always do more of it, there is freedom in apology, I have had this feeling in my body of a tightening in my chest, a resistance, which is pride, like we might get hung for admitting we made an error, or loose our so called position as parents…etc, but when we offer a sincere apology for what ever has gone on, what ever it is, speaking rough, not listening, rushing etc, then there is the opportunity to feel freedom, liberation, be a role model and heal.
“When it comes to parenting, what will our children reflect upon when the years have passed?” a great question, perhaps one I should embrace more and more but in truth it is merely the connection and love that we feel that is most important to us. Perhaps when we put that at the heart of raising kids we will have a very different generation, of course, we need to first have that with ourself.
Thank you for writing this very revealing blog about our search for magic via activities and holidays that in truth are void of any true magic. It confirmed for me my feelings as a very young boy (age 5) where I remember feeling the falseness and emptiness of what was being presented to me with Christmas celebrations and activities and all the expectations that the adults around me had in regards to how they thought I would or should respond to things like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and other holiday or birthday celebrations. In retrospect it was actually quite imposing and I remember feeling very sad during Christmas time because of what I felt and feeling that others were not seeing what I was.
It might be the lack of magic in the parent´s or adult´s life that they then try to substitute with the artificial false magic we make up, ie. the lies we create to crumble the mundaneness with some glitter. We need to re-discover and ignite the sparkle within ourselves and everyone else to reactivate the natural magic and children are a natural source of inspiration to do so.
Our wisdom may grow as we age, but it is also entirely present from early years.
Everything is magic when we are kids, we look at the world and it’s full of wonder and full of incredible things, the magic doesn’t disappear as we grow up we simply loose the ability to look at things with a fresh pair of eyes.
Parenting in this way means not only do we have the opportunity to be a true role model, to live in the quality that supports our children, inspiring them by how we live responsibly and with care for our own health and well-being, but also provides a reflection and the environment where other children receive and know this quality parenting too.
This blog should get published in a ” how to raise a child” book. My particles in my body got spacious whilst reading this, there is nothing more beautiful, than allowing someone else to be and supporting them in their magic to bring out and express it. Your children are very blessed with a woman that understands motherhood in a true way.
Already in the first paragraph you are exposing a great belief: yes, children have to relearn how to walk etc again but they are already super wise beings- having even more accessible wisdom than us adults, as they are much more connected their bodies and the divine still. We as adults do learn so much from children, if we but listen and ask. The moment we think they are just small we miss so much wisdom shared. It is never only a one way street, both parties learn constantly from each other.
Healing and love dominate our lives! Love that Ariana – sounds like a far more loving way to live.
Very cool magic is really within as you share so beautifully. I remember when my daughter was little at xmas and I told her straight there was no father xmas and this was something adults needed to do to try and bring back magic. We still do presents etc but she has always known the truth and the dishonesty at play. Last year was the last though as it didn’t sit well with me even with the light shining in it. As you say there is so much magic in and around us to deeply appreciate and change next to that no latest toy could ever compare.
It is so important to admit our mistakes and vulnerabilities, as being right for the sake of it does not hold another as an equal.
I am sure if we knew what we were really doing when we said derogatory and demeaning words then we would never ever want to say them.
I love how children express those simplistic observations that so often expose the contradictions, complexities and hypocrisies we have allowed to creep into life as we age. What a gift to both adult and child it is when these observations are welcomed as it allows both generations a greater opportunity to address them without either needing to be right or wrong, just forth right and honest.
Trying to re-create the magic as an adult just goes to show how much we miss it, even though we see it as childish play we still want that feeling of being a child.
It’s true that we remember that feeling, we remember the magic and nothing ever feels quite right until we reconnect to it.
“The so called âmagic of childhood,â such as the Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas, pale into insignificance when we allow ourselves to appreciate the moments of true connection and joy that can be shared with one another” – we make up such stories, or those stories appeal because in some way we want to escape and create a fantasy to layer over the fact that we already (do) know the true “fantasy” of ourselves in being magical and fantastic by natural design through our divinity and that quality which we have forgotten or not connected back to. This is the real story to tell to tell our kids.
Isn’t it absurd that we make up fiction in the form of Father Christmas, tooth fairy and non-sense bed time stories in order to offer a magical experience to our children, yet we do not talk to them about the magic in real life? Wait- maybe it could have something to do with the fact that we have been so busy ignoring them in our own lives, we are kind of out of practice. Even then, this article is a great reminder and inspiration to restart.
“When it comes to parenting, what will our children reflect upon when the years have passed? In this world that can be at times chaotic, cynical, dishonest, unloving and scary, could it be that there was a beacon of light and consistency, a parent without perfection that honoured who they are, truly listened and was honest with them?”
Wow wow and wow Sam, love what you write in this blog and this paragraph just sums it up – we have such amazing opportunity as parents to show our children something that they might not get from the world around them – LOVE.
Building a life with consistency and care as the bedrock supports and enriches us in so many ways. The more we commit to this, so does our ability to stay present, to notice and connect to the magic of the universe that is all around us, all of the time- and that we are all an equal part of.
The magic of life not confined to a date, but available in every moment… why do we resist this amazingness and all that is on offer?
Itâs true the games we play to entertain kids are full of lies, but how lost are we as adults that we think we need to manufacture magic when it naturally is all around us?
Turning these traditions around requires a great deal of self love, honesty and observation. Building a consistency within our selves enables us to hold that for our children too, so that they feel supported and empowered to know who they are in relation to the world and not get lost in pictures, ideals and beliefs that don’t support them or us to know our truth, wisdom and love in full.
I have found that children are naturally wise, knowing of truth and have an amazing sense of wonder and joy. It feels beautiful to nurture and encourage this. All of the false magic seems to go against this natural knowing of truth and joy.
This is a great question; ‘Is it possible that magic is everywhere â it just happens that we keep getting distracted by a false light because it comes with glitters and sparkles?’ I can feel the huge difference between the false magic and true magic. I have seen my son in wonder at nature and this feels truly magical and then I have observed the queues to see Santa and the shops selling us things to give to our children for Christmas and other occasions and this does not feel like true magic.
“…appreciating what the seasons reflect to us, being aware of bird song, how the sky changes, a sunset, bringing nature into the home with flowers, the sparkle in someoneâs eye, enjoying the warmth of the sun on your back” – i adore the detail you bring of life and nature, appreciating the smallest aspects give the greatest joy.
I love how you started with saying I have been growing up with my children for the last nine years, as I have also been doing the same for the past nine years and the reflection and learning that is on offer from our kids is a never ending source and there is almost never a day that goes by that I don’t appreciate this, especially as there was a stage in my life where I thought that I didn’t care whether I had children or not.
We have made Life about as multidimensional as a cereal packet, which is why it has become so dismal and dreary for most of us.Returning to multidimensionality re-instates the magic of Life because Life is, in actual fact, very magical indeed.
I have felt an awful expectation and need for my son to love his presents at birthday time and Christmas time, as if the presents can convey some idea of magic. For magic to be true, our beingness has to be touched in some way, otherwise it’s simply a very poor imitation of the real thing.
What an interesting experiment it would be, if we stopped imposing our pictures, beliefs , aspirations and hopes on our kids and simply let them be who they naturally are. It would be fascinating if we did this worldwide for say, twenty years and then took stock of where we were at.
As a grandparent now, I realise the complication we bring in as parents and make parenting so much more complicated, difficult and draining than it is. It is only now that I realise that it is the ‘dishonesty and pretences’ I participated in and upheld that exhausted me in the life of raising children. The miracle of life is full of existing joy and love and nurtured everyday with honesty and appreciation of who our children are and of ourselves means parenting will be celebrated. This is such a supportive blog for parents beginning out and offers a solid foundation for fully cherishing and loving our precious little ones (it is important to remember we are responsible for raising the parents of the future)
“appreciating magic in our lives has a lot to do with appreciating the gold that is in our lives on a daily basis” – Absolutely. Magic isn’t reserved to big events such as weddings, birthdays, holidays or other ‘celebrations’, but is absolutely a part of everyday life.
I love this and could feel the role we have as adults in this from the very beginning of the blog. We have adopted a process of ‘growing up’ which involves separating from so much of the connection to our true nature that we are born with. Awesome that there will be new generations where this is not the case.
A beautiful blog that restores our true purpose as parents, which is to honour, cherish and deepen the magic of everyday life, through connection, appreciation and honesty, a constant expression that children can rely on amidst an otherwise turbulent society we have allowed to flourish.
“feeling a sense of magic in life is very much about nurturing and keeping alive the innocence, sensitivity and openness that children are born with and which, potentially even into adulthood, we can maintain.” Absolutely, cynicism and the loveless systems that engender it are the blinkers to the otherwise ever-present magic we are naturally attuned to.
“The Magic of Childhood â Explored” – is equally our exploration of our own joy as an adult.
Another problem with the imposed false ‘magic of childhood’ model is that we set children up to have to leave it behind in childhood. Many adults grow up feeling hurt or sad that they had to leave this so called magic behind in childhood whereas the real magic that comes from living with love as our guide can be enjoyed at all ages and right through life and so is never left behind.
There are children being raised today in the full awareness of who they/we are! We all have the choice to return, but what if we never left who we are! What impact will this have on humanity?
Our children show us stuff that we might not have the honesty to look at it and that is a gift that needs constant appreciation.
Totally! The honesty and simplicity of a child’s approach to life present us the pearls â that we had preferred to leave unopened.
Simplicity corrupted by the indulgence of the adult
This is gorgeous, and I so agree with you about when you look into a child’s eyes and see their/our truth. Children absolutely love being truly met with no expectation, just seeing them from that equality is something they generally don’t get often or ever with their families.
The true magic of childhood has been systematically stomped on by most adults (me included). And we do this in many, many ways but all of those ways can be summed up by saying that we interfere with the natural ways of children by imposing over the top of their innate nature our assumed and adapted ways of living.
Creating false truths and telling them to our children is denying their inner knowing and ability to feel the truth just as much if not more than we do.
It’s such an illusion that at 18 years old we become an ‘adult’, because at all points in our lives we have equal right to express ourselves, and at 4, 9, 13 and all ages we can live responsibly, contribute to our community at the time and be an inspiration for all others.
I was struck by how simple it can be when I read this – “In this world that can be at times chaotic, cynical, dishonest, unloving and scary, could it be that there was a beacon of light and consistency, a parent without perfection that honoured who they are, truly listened and was honest with them?”
I wonder if Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy stories depend on the child? These stories were never a theme where I grew up while I have heard of other children for whom they were very important stories where it didn’t matter whether they were real or not?
This is beautiful, and reminds me of the numerous times my own children have shared moments of magic, not only when they were younger but still do now they are both in their 30’s. We all have magic within us to share with each other, its simply a case of allowing ourselves to connect to it and letting it shine out.
Because we have placed magic only in the make believe, we then set ourselves up to be left without any magic in our adult ‘rational’ years – but there is so much magic in real life to be found, that can be shown to our children and carried into adulthood.
What I love about this blog is that it explores the magic of childhood for the adults, it is not the little children that need to be reminded of what it means it is us adults that need to be reminded of the beauty that lives within and around us.
We end up enlisting the myriad of false gimmicks to offer a magical experience to our children because we ourselves have given up on the magic that is accessible through living a true life of love, harmony and wisdom.
‘Knowing that their parents are role-modelling letting go of their âstuffâ so that together they can be more loving, because living with love is more important to them than holding on to any âstuff.â
This puts parenting in a different perspective and allows us all to learn together.
Our children are not blank slates, they do not need to be ‘filled in’ by the adults all they need from us is to be supported in learning how to be that bright light and shine in a world where this is not yet the normal. They need to learn that every choice has a consequence and that there is responsibility and purpose to life. But if we do not live this as adults, and from our own disconnection we seek entertainment, lies and comfort, is it any wonder that this is what we then offer to our children?
The beauty of your blog is how you are holding yourself equal to your children and know you can learn from them. They reflect to us, if left to be themselves, exactly who we are and though that reflection we are supported to come back to this and learn every day.
“we so easily fall into the behaviours of the generations before us and knowingly perpetuate the cultural myths ” this is so true , we do not even question what we have been brought up with nor the effect it has on us. As you say the magic is there from the beginning and the way we are raising our children right now, just as we have been raised by our parents, is degenrating this magic bit by bit until we have completely forgotten it.
When we are connected to the love, truth and wisdom innate within us, there is a harmony and flow to our lives that constellates in many magical ways.
I’ve often wondered if promoting all these fantasy lies sets us up to not trust one another… if we are lied to as children, would that not create distrust of others into adulthood?
‘I have been growing up with my children for the last nine years…’ this brings such a gorgeous sense of equality between you and your children.
Beautifully spotted Michael yes I agree the equality within Samatha’s family is clearly felt. A true role model for the future.
Yes this stood out for me too. A beautiful acceptance of the fact that we can all learn so much together from each other, no matter what stage of life.
I agree Michael and it is that sense of equality that is sorely missing, not only in the way that we parent but in our education system as well. We all tend to dictate to children, to impose on them and to try and instil our so called ‘values’ on them. It seems that most of us don’t stop to consider the inherent values that a child has or the divine qualities that they are born with. We assume a position of authority and superiority and so much is lost as a result.
This is great, and adding one simple word to what you have shared and that is boundaries, a boundary that is set with loving discipline is understood and appreciated. Then we have to be consistent with what we bring, so we do as I do because I have the same boundaries and discipline!
This is key. Rules are rules and they are the same rules for all of us. Why on earth should our kids follow our lead when it has no foundation of lived example?
It would be supportive to let go of the idea that the beauty and innocence of childhood is something we will lose or let go of, we can still nurture that in them and allow them to be all they are without the world imposing and moulding them into something else. We can do that too as adults by reconnecting to our true essence within ourselves and living that daily. Kids learn what life is about through watching us.
I agree, I am returning to something that can be called innocence and wonder, which I know has always been deep within, and expressed as a child, but I neglected it and hide it and now it is returning. We can absolutely live this as adults as well, it is never too late.
And this whole blog is for each of us to explore in relation to the child within us. Most of us would not have been parented like this…but that doesn’t mean we can’t re-parent ourselves in this light.
Yes, Otto, it is never too late to re-parent ourselves with deep care and nurturing. In fact it is delicious to do so, and it sets new standards to take out into every aspect of life.
I am absolutely re-parenting. myself, the hurt, protected attitude that can be prevalent to be truly let go off, needs supporting with gentleness, understanding and discipline and through this the hurt is discarded, the hurts are healed and let go of and the truth of your being can walk free. It does not matter what sort of childhood you encountered, there is always power in self responsibility and healing.
Reading your list of what truly supports a child….compare this with the energy of what you read in a school prospectus or on their web-site.
‘When we reflect on our experiences, it is our relationships and moments of connection that have true meaning â not what we buy, do or have.’ Those moments of buying something new, or doing something well can give fleeting moments of pleasure, but connecting with others brings a depth, a joy and something that is truly fulfilling.
There really is so much out there today that keeps us distracted or focused on what is not the true magic that surrounds us everywhere, if we care to stop and notice it.
And that includes the magic that we are.
Yes stimulation and reward is a shallow pretender that is stomping around declaring that this is what we should be seeking. And it would not exist other than us asking for it..and yet, when it comes to the true magic that is within us, and we are of it is without question is so much more wholesome, divine and meaningful.
I agree Jane and I feel the fairy tales and false magic is a way to dull our children’s natural and innate magic.
I recall one of our friends said to me that we are being mean for not playing the Santa game with our children. I simply replied, ‘we don’t want to lie to our children’ but our friend found it difficult to understand why we would choose to do this. I realised from that interaction that many people will struggle with our choice to be completely honest with our children. I feel honesty is absolutely needed in our society and it is awesome to break the accepted norm to lie to our children about Santa, the tooth fairy etc. In truth if we ask any child they would tell us that they do not like being lied to, so why keep up this old tradition of lies? It is not evolving for anyone.
Holding our children with the level of respect that we all deserve is a marker that we all crave so why not share it equally.
Yes this photo speaks volumes – more than words can say. This photo speaks to our inner gold and ignites the magic on a particle level. Itâs very inspiring for ourselves as adults and also to how we can raise our kids to hold this magic in full simply through confirming the truth and quality of who they are well before focusing on what they do.
âIs it truly a natural progression in life to not feel magic and become cynical as we mature?â I feel and have observed that this progression tends to only happen because we from child to adult are following the ideals, beliefs, patterns, cultures etc before us. To all children, and I remember this clearly as a child, adults feel very different and I canât say it is in a good way. There is more seriousness, more tiredness, more canât be bothered, less fun, making life about doing and getting stuff done etc etc with adults. But when we bring it back to the inner magic then both adults and children can be living the same beauty in life.
I love this exploration. Of course childhood is full of magic, and so it can be as adults too. We just have to allow it. We don’t have to force magic or create it. It just is.
I watched some children yesterday playing together, not on video games, but making paper models. It reminded me of how far we have come from allowing our children to be, to just be in the magic of their childhood with activities that really honour the wondrous people they are.
Santa, the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy combined have nothing on the magic of God that underpins life. This blog shows the gimmicks and hype in a whole new light where they can be seen for the pale imitations they are. More so it reminds us all that we have the ability to live a life of wonder and magic anywhere, anytime.
“We are all teachers in this world” to quote a song by Glorious Music… and that includes children of all ages.
Hypocrisy is one of the worst things we can do as parents, guardians, teachers or any kind of role model, because it’s impossible to set an example for someone if in ourselves we do not live this example and reflect that it’s possible.
A great reminder of the magic on offer when we bring parenting back to the simplicity of connecting with and appreciating children for who they truly are.
‘What maintains and supports a knowing and sense of innocence and magic in a childâs life (something we all know at the birth of a child) is when they feel they are seen for who they are and appreciated and accepted.’ We have to get ourselves out of the way and cherish and support with letting the divinity come out what is inside every child.
Great reflection on the magic that is there when we connect with ourselves and each other and how this is open to us all at any time.
And itâs so gorgeous how at anytime we can reconnect to this and take the steps to love it, embrace it and allow it to be in our lives in full. It is so refreshing to see and feel an adult and ever an elder adult bring the magic and beauty, that we more commonly see expressed in children, to life.
‘Feeling a sense of magic in life is very much about nurturing and keeping alive the innocence, sensitivity and openness that children are born with and which, potentially even into adulthood, we can maintain.’ True and the sparkle, the magic is always there, the thing we have to do is connect to a light, playfull and loving way of life, entering the wisdom of our body, a relfection of the universe.
Our trussed up, reconstituted version of wonder is a greatly reduced representation of the real thing.
‘Feeling a sense of magic in life is very much about nurturing and keeping alive the innocence, sensitivity and openness that children are born with.’ It’s a joy to behold and watch children in this way of expression. I have to say that spending a lot of time with them ‘rubs off,’ as the expression goes and I find myself re-connecting to my innocence, sensitivity and openness.
We never bought into ‘junk magic’ when my kids were young. One parent baled me up one day and accused me of child abuse because I wasnât stimulating my children enough. My eldest was 4 years and her siblings were 3 and 18 months at that time and played contently using their own imaginations. As I look back on their young years, as they are adults now, I can see that the games they were playing were preparing them for the work they do today. We never had heaps of toys or pretended there was a Santa Claus, a tooth fairy or an Easter bunny and never even bought into fun parks, movies, junk food or sweets other than fruit or any such stimuli and that was over 30 years ago.
The fact we create make-believe stories that present a false version of how life is, is an indictment of how far removed we are as a society from the everyday magic of simply living in true connection to ourselves and others.
And it shows us how the quality of life has dropped significantly when a âfairytaleâ is the pick me up. Fairytales do not hold magic in them compared to that of our multidimensionality when we connect to our inner heart. But when we donât then the fairytale is the lesser wonder we have tended to fall back on and even corrupt the magic of our children with – when instead we could just be connecting to them and their beauty and confirming their magic. Perhaps a childâs magic brings up too much stuff for an adult and it is more comfortable for adults to pretend in order to not feel what they have once left behind.
Great point Janet, I agree and I too feel this is the reason why we have these made up stories and lies in society. It is an attempt to put some spark back into life but this spark is a false one that hurts us and not confirming for us at all.
“When we reflect on our experiences, it is our relationships and moments of connection that have true meaning â not what we buy, do or have” – absolutely and because without connection, the emptiness in that gift, purchase, is most certainly felt.
When I reflect on my childhood the moments that have fondly stayed with me are the ones of true connection, of warmth, of play and of being in the moment with another.
How many times are children given gifts/toys and have more fun playing with the box?
So important to maintain that sense of magic through our lives… its always there, unchanged and blemish free in the world around us. Its us, and our reaction to our experiences that tarnishes the shine and makes it hard to find in our everyday… and so we create stories that are just a distant echo of the true magic all around us.
Discriminating between pandering to the ‘dishonest’ and superficial moments of ‘the magic of childhood’ to appreciating the magic in our lives, as you present, is a most wonderful and enhancing approach to preparing children for adulthood.
A truly magical sharing filled with deep wisdom.
“Just take a moment and look into a childâs eyes without expectation or a guard. Be open to the love and light that resides within (if you donât have a child near you, it works just as well with an adult). See that sparkle and light shine and you will know there is true magic right there⌠within us all”.
Is there magic in running around really stressed buying presents that we often can’t afford because it is the seen thing to do to give to the children in our lives at the end of the year or buying so much chocolate (which is a poison to the body) that it is all around the house for days if not weeks, because it is the ‘seen’ thing to do! It would seem this is madness rather than magic!
‘Just take a moment and look into a childâs eyes without expectation or a guard. Be open to the love and light that resides within (if you donât have a child near you, it works just as well with an adult). See that sparkle and light shine and you will know there is true magic right there⌠within us all.’ I love this, child or adult we all, hold the same inner light and when you look into the eyes of a young child there is no getting away from the way it sparkles.
The sparkles are always there; we only need to connect with them.
When there are children coming into our lives to my experience we are asked to be more in line with the magic they at birth are living with. It is up to us as an adult to not destroy this magic like as possible has been done to us, but instead to cherish and nurture it to the best of our ability to allow this magic to grow up in adulthood. How then would the world look like if everybody would live the magic life in truth is. It definitely would be a completely different world the all the abuse and atrocities we see nowadays will be exposed for the falsity of it and by that realisation will stop to exist.
Could it be that we bring in the fake magic because we have lost connection with the magic that life naturally already is?
Maybe instead of trying to force feed our children some make believe magic we should stop and observe the natural innocence and wonder and magic that children know so innately and be inspired by that to rediscover our own soulful magic.
Well said Andrew as children can be a great inspiration and certainly a beautiful reflection.
Thank you for the reminder that magic is all around us and most importantly within us.
We have made ‘magic moments’ something special but all the while missing out on the true magic that is there in every moment.
I love what you are sharing. I can feel that children feel so much magic naturally. Just picking up a stone that looks sparkly or playing with sand or water is magical to children and that a false idea of magic, such as Father Christmas and the tooth fairy, is not needed.
Yes, we are actually robbing ourselves of the beauty that is around us and we natural feel in sync with.
Weâre all rushing about looking for a better life, but when we stop, feel and connect magic is just so there. Itâs almost too much for us to take – so readily available it is.
‘Just take a moment and look into a childâs eyes without expectation or a guard. Be open to the love and light that resides within (if you donât have a child near you, it works just as well with an adult). See that sparkle and light shine and you will know there is true magic right there⌠within us all.’ I love this, child or adult we all, hold the same inner light and when you look into the eyes of a young child there is no getting away from the way it sparkles.
We rush around and then we rush our children around from excitement to excitement without a moment to stop, connect and just be with them, we fill every gap. We have all seen when children are at their most content playing with a cardboard box, string, water or something else incredibly simple and yet we insist on all this stimulation from activity to screen to activity, it’s no wonder that children are finding it hard to focus at school on what they need to learn and are finding life a struggle, I would be exhausted too if I had so much stimulation in my life.
Oh how I love the wisdom of an innocent kid.
Yes, I have been parenting my inner child for some time, I am bringing myself back gently, learning to be understanding, supportive, beholding, gracious, sweet with myself, you can not shift and heal yourself or anyone else with a hardline forceful approach, this is all will and control not true healing. True healing surrenders, yields and transforms from love.
“living with love is more important to them than holding on to any âstuff.â” Just this one take away, confirming that love is a primary purpose within the family, is enough to have our children grow up and contribute to every aspect of life knowing that relationship comes first and foremost â Their relationship with love/God.
A point of inspiration today that magic is an every moment, every day thing, not confined to particular days of the year or events. Magic -i.e that connection that confirms us as being part of something much greater than ourselves, and with that, brings a feeling of settlement and joy, is all around us, all of the time. We just have to have our eyes open enough to see and feel it.
Ah yes, our whole body open to noticing it.
As the magic of life is our natural allowing this into our lives makes us to feel very settled.
Lovely writing and very relatable. Parenting is hard work, thereâs no doubt about that. But raising a child with integrity and honesty is something I feel absolute about. Yes this means no Father Christmas, but it does mean an honest relationship with my children.
In having kids in the first place we are saying yes to the responsibility of being a role model for the rest of our lives.
And do we set the model based on our own innate wisdom, truth, magic inside… or do we sell the same role model as the rest of the world that is so clearly failing?
Disney’s aim is to bring back the magic – maybe that’s why so many adults like to go.
Thank-you , i really welcome this opportunity to unpick the value and purpose of traditions such as Santa Claus, tooth fairies and the Easter bunny. In the unpicking its clear to see our investments and attachments as parents, do we seek to make life better by making it more fantastical and imaginative?
Through the shield of our own issues and hurts do we seek to protect and cosset our children from the world?
I spent 7 years at boarding school and then ventured to art college in London aged 18, I remember feeling totally cheated and angry with myself & my parents because I had allowed myself to be hidden from humanity.
It is such a false magic though isn’t it. That is the complete irony that rather than connecting or re-connecting to the absolute innate magic and beauty within and all around us we ‘create’ something that could not be further away from the truth! On reflection not only is it irony but also such arrogance thinking that we can create something that is the same as the truth as well as exposing where we are at that we feel we have to do this i.e. not connected to our truth.
When we look into the eyes of a child (as with the child in the picture above), we cannot but see and feel the magic of God and the fact that we are from heaven.
What a great exposure on the fact that we often create this false magic when the truth is there is incredible magic, joy and wonderment all around us.
In the end what counts is always about relationships and connection with others. The quality, joy and level of intimacy make life magical.
I work a couple of days a week with children who have not grown up with much magic in their childhood, in fact very little at all. While you can see and feel the âscarsâ they carry, when you put them together with other children in similar circumstance and a variety of things to play with, itâs not long before they are making their own magic which is the most wonderful sight to see.
What a gift – connecting to the true magic within which has it’s own sparkle which will never dull.
Reading this article I can feel how we so often take on traditions, such as the tooth fairy and Father Christmas and we can do this without questioning whether this will be supportive for our children or not.
This is a great question; ‘This has got me pondering why, as parents, we so easily fall into the behaviours of the generations before us and knowingly perpetuate the cultural myths of the Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas etc. as if there is not other way of bringing up our children?’ I can feel that we carry on traditions without really questioning them and whether they are supportive for our children or not. It is very unusual to not keep up the myth about the tooth fairy and Father Christmas and from my experience it is actually look down upon if we tell our children the truth that these are stories and not in fact true.
A truly beautiful sharing of the magic within us all and all around reflecting this to us so simply that we often forget to see the awe in every moment that is here to be felt from within. Children are an amazing reflection for us with the simplicity and wonder in their eyes and all they say are and see and how deeply beautiful to be brought up with this honouring of who we are.
It is awful to feel the full effects on all of us keeping these lies going. When my children asked me if these figures were real or not I told them the truth. They really wanted to know but once they did they wanted to go back to not knowing because Christmas and Easter wasn’t going to be the same without the fanfare and excitement. It really gets in more than what we realise and I feel it’s where we may start gauging what we want to be aware of and what we want to stay blinded to.
Itâs amazing but understandable the lengths we go to, to inject magic into our lives. Given every moment is actually full of it, living avoiding this you are bound to feel empty inside.
It is such a beautiful thing to observe and be apart of when the magic of childhood is encouraged and allowed to flourish instead of being crushed by ideals and beliefs and the knock on effect of many generations, lack of true love in parenting.
Indeed and so the magic of adulthood is resurrected. I love this, the appreciation of being part of supporting this in children, but of course understanding that in doing so it is necessary to live this and connect with this for ourselves as adults.
“The old saying, âDo as I say, not as I do,â is something that many parents are familiar with, but the thing is we are all hypocrisy radars and sniff out inconsistency before a word has been spoken.”That is so true when I was young grown ups often did not do what they said and that made me confused and puzzled as I could not understand why things became so complicated. Therefore I love it if parents do what they say to the best of their ability – that could help that a child could be more trustful in themself.
“Being open to the wonder and magic of life as an adult is a way of role-modelling the quality we so seek to sustain within our children.” I absolutely agree that adults should be open to the wonder and magic of life that would not only help their children it also would help themselves and the world around them.
Yes, this is a beautiful reminder and your comment is too Monica. I love the appreciation and truth shared here. Also, you are revealing how magical and grand we all are.
I agree with you Shirley-Ann and I feel the illusion is deeply harming for our children and ourselves. I find there is always an agenda when anyone chooses to use lies to mask the truth. It is a sad and scary realisation just how much our society accepts these lies as being OK.
When my children were young, I went along with society’s norm and sold my children the Santa and tooth fairy story. At one point I realised how harmful this was by the look on my son’s face when he found out that Santa was a lie. I understand how confusing this must have been for our children when they find out about these lies because we often drum it into our children to never lie and to be absolutely honest, but we somehow justify that it is OK for us to lie to our children about Santa, tooth fairy etc. I realised how crazy this was and we stopped playing these games as a family years ago. Also, what I realise is that this form of lying has become so normal and accepted in our society. It is not loving in anyway but deeply harming to lie to our children or anyone for that matter.
I agree, it is harmful for everyone involved, even if it is so called ‘sugar coated’, there is no such thing as a lie that supports anyone. We do not need to tell everyone everything about our lives, but we do need work on being transparent and be responsive to what feels true and what needs to be said in the moment. If my children ask me a question, I am committed to answering as truthfully as I am able. This is in fact true regarding everyone I have conversation with, honesty first, what ever the subject or question. In this we all get to understand life more fully, heal, and develop a foundation of strength, steadiness and consistency. Lies are shabby for establishing a consistent foundation in life and relationships.
I first experienced Disney Land as an adult and I can tell you I was disappointed! I’d seen it hyped up all my life – adverts and films of children in wonder and when I saw how false it was and how desolate it was I felt crushed. Was this the best we could do to bring magic to the world? Since then I’ve found magic to be in everything in each day. Just the connection between smiles feels so joy-full, or seeing wildlife constellated for you to receive a poignant reflection, or a woods full of bluebells; it’s all there once I stop chasing a picture I’ve been sold of perfection.
Such a gorgeous article, thank you for sharing, that magic is all around us, and it is free, seen often in children but also it is there in everyone of us of any age, just waiting to be connected to and appreciated.
This is super interesting to look at.. why do we spend so much time trying to recreate the magic of childhood for children when they already see and experience the slightest, smallest thing like a stone or a puddle, as something full of wonder?
So true, a child brings that observational wonder to life. Lets learn and be inspired by them and respond accordingly.
Spot on. The lies we play along with in society to create the âperfect pictureâ degrade the magic and awe that children naturally live, until one day we have grown into dulled adults who seek temporary highs to relieve the mundaneness of existence.
This is a great and worthy exploration. The true magic of childhood is nurtured by the refection of the very light within the child, emanating from the adults around them. For it is this reflection that says to the child â keep your light on â in a world that has for the most part plummeted into darkness. In this way we slowly resurrect ourselves out of the shadows and back into the glorious light of our true self, the Soul. Like the stars in the sky, we are constellated together to support each other through this process.
The false and deceptive so-called magic of Disneyland, Bambi, Ice Princesses, Father Christmas and the Easter bunny turn us into cynical and fatigued adults as we choke on the lies and the rip-off pushed down our throats.
I remember very clearly the day I found out that the big jolly round man in a red suit that sailed on a sleigh pulled by reindeer through the night air on Christmas eve and showered presents to all the children in the world below was not real… I was devastated. Not so much because he wasn’t real, but more so that I had felt the entire world had lied to me and I couldn’t understand why.
Looking back, I feel we fall for this fatherly image of Santa because deep down we each know and remember Thy Father (God, the Universe, whatever you want to call him) whose real name is Sanat Kumara, and so I am sure it is no accident here that âSantaâ is an anagram of Sanat. Yet another example of how, when we do not hold true to our innate divinity, we allow ourselves to fall for the many imposters we are sold in place of this.
We can stumble in to this lie as parents, some how forgetting the pain of the deceit that we encountered as children, thinking we need to make it better for our children. We think it is a game to play, a tradition, but yes lets look deeper and really consider why it is set up in such a way that children feel like the whole world lied to them and they where the only one out of the game?
Yes, I remember being 16 and my parents doing a perfect Christmas, genuinely so but all I could – to my surprise – feel was an aching emptiness.
A young child has more magic than Disney can ever muster. I wonder if Disney is so successful because it evokes the memory of true experiences we had as young children?
This is such a huge sharing – the fact that we have confined magic to key events in the year when in fact magic is accessible all of the time. In having these key events we are already teaching our kids that some things are more important than others. Is that truly how we want them to grow up?
Yes, Jane, real life is so much more magical than fairytales when we open our hearts to others.
I love this article. Reading this confirms to me how very beautiful it is to be honest with my son. I love that he can trust me and know that whatever he asks I will be honest with him.
I was just speaking to a grown man yesterday about what happens to the magic we all know from childhood, so your blog is very timely. Thank you, for the reminder that magic is always there waiting if we let go of our hurts and open up our hearts again.
I agree Doug If we have lost that sparkle of feeling the real magic and joy in life and even given up on it even existing which happens to many adults who feel jaded by the world, then somehow we will try and compensate by creating a false contrived magic not realising that we are setting our children up to settle for far less than what is possible to be lived and enjoyed.
While sitting here in the garden writing comments a butterfly just landed on my left breast and stayed there: true magic right here on the spot. Who needs Disneyland or our Dutch âSinterklaasâ if this is on offer?
Allowing ourselves to see the magic in everyday life and in every connection is true wealth and all we have to do is give ourselves permission to be aware of this again.
I love how you reveal and expose the ‘magic’ we seek to give our children comes in the guise of Father Christmas, the Tooth Fairy and Disney is a poor imitation of the real deal, a false representation of the light that is naturally ours, naturally held within and the spark of dignity that we all are. There is so much to wonder at and be inspired by the richness of the universe, the flow we are naturally part of… there is true magic here to be uplifted by.
Great blog and a much needed conversation. There is indeed magic everywhere in every day life when we open ourselves up to truly love and be loved.
I remember the magical moments in my childhood and they had nothing to do with “special” days or presents etc. They had to do with moments when I felt seen and loved for who I am, moments like my Mum bending down to talk with me, or Dad bringing me a rose from the garden when I was grumpy.
I went through life seeing symbols that felt not so good .. but since I am connecting to the love within I now see love hearts shaped in all sorts of objects around me â proof the magic we see resonates from the magic within.
This is really beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I loved reading this today.
Oh I dearly love the reflection of children in my life, and I love the reflection of childlike transparency in some adults that I meet. You are quite right it is living magic đ
It’s like children (and adults) getting to know that the magic comes from our inner connection rather than external ‘prizes;’ and how much of our inner world determines out external responses?
The absolute equalness between the parents and children I feel in your list is just so stunningly beautiful. Yes, together we grow.
I can to this day remember finding out Santa was not real – there was truly distress at having been lied to all that time and made to believe in something not true. What is this really setting our children up for, playing on there trust in us to deliver them the truth of life?
There is so much magic in nature, so much wonder and delight at the change of the seasons or a caterpillar to a butterfly, in laughing and cuddling together, in the daily interaction of life. If we can show this to our children they won’t need to look beyond real life for fulfilment and magic.
It’s as though we think we have to create magic – at Christmas, birthdays, holidays, etc and money has to be spent in order to have a ‘good time’ when true magic is found in simplicity and the most simplest of things. For me every day, magic is when my daughter expresses truth, meeting the beauty when I make eye contact with my middle son and receiving a cuddle from my youngest son – so simple yet so profound.
Significant yes, ‘create’, I agree we do not need to create something that is already there within us and around us, and we never lose it, we just hide it under layers, but those layers can be discarded and children are a great role model concerning not walking around with layers of issues, protections, agendas etc they are very often who they are without hiding and this is beautiful to enjoy. So yes a question is where does this need for ‘making’ it magical come from, it may suggesti as parents we may have lost our way and do not have that connection with magic that is so profoundly abundant.
So practical and a beautiful option to the so called âmagic of childhood,â such as the trip to Disney World, Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas. To allow ourselves to appreciate and confirm each other in moments of true connection and joy mean these amusements and myths are placed into true perspective.
Children naturally see that wonder and beauty in the world. It seems like that âchildhood magicâ stuff is sold to the cynical adult under the guise of protecting that wonder that they already hold within. But it actually makes us grow up cynical once we work it all out itâs nonsense.
This blog oozes with gold. I love feeling the beauty and detailed wonder with which you describe nature. Described and felt this way it is actually a wonder why we settle for so much less in stimulation and distraction from a video game or theme park.
How glorious. I love this blog. Yes there is magic within us. There is no need to try to create it. We just need to nurture it and observe.
There is no greater magic than love!
Thank you for sharing and bringing the reminder that ‘There is magic all around us, at all times.’ The more we see and embrace this the more meaningful every relationship and every interaction becomes.
I love the photo that goes with this blog. To me that says it all ⨠Very powerful
It’s ironic when we think that as parents we are trying to bring magic into the lives of our children and yet they are already living a magical life. Could it be that it is the parents that want the magic back or want what they can feel the children have?
It seems with all the added distractions of the world today we as parents need to really step it up as role models and express truth as much as possible. I have also learnt so much about love and life through being a parent and am always open to the universal wisdom that comes through our kids.
“In this world that can be at times chaotic, cynical, dishonest, unloving and scary, could it be that there was a beacon of light and consistency, a parent without perfection that honoured who they are, truly listened and was honest with them?” So beautifully expressed. As grandparents and teachers – in fact anyone who comes into contact with children – can do this too.
“This has got me pondering why, as parents, we so easily fall into the behaviours of the generations before us and knowingly perpetuate the cultural myths of the Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas etc. as if there is no other way of bringing up our children?” A great question, when there is so much magic to explore in everyday life, as you point out.
I recall being devastated finding out there was no Santa…or rather that mum and dad were santa and it wasn’t that they were Santa, but what I was lead to believe was true was not true. And this has happened to countless children for a very long time.
The magic of God is forever with us, we simply have to be fully present with ourselves to feel it.
This is so true, it is not the Christmas Day celebration that brings us the connection we all desire, it is in the simple moments, a glance that catches anotherâs, and absolute appreciation of another, and oneself, a moment of stillness as feeling all that is around, with understanding, but most of all it is gracefully accepting all of life, without judgement.
No matter how a child behaves or an adult their essence of who they are is there for all to see. When we choose to see the magic and light in another first how can we react? We are then in a place of love to observe and deal with whatever arises addressing the behaviour and not the child or adult.
This blog deeply touches me… the profoundness and richness of life in its very simplicity, purely available to everyone without needing anything external to better it.
Me too, nothign external comes close to the gift we can give another when we come from the love that we are. Everything else in this world whilst being nice to have and receive is secondary.
Beautifully expressed, I love the simplicity that is shared here, appreciation is rich in magic.
There are only two qualities of light one is the light of love and truth and one is the light of fake love, the emotional love, we a times call the false light as it makes us do things that feels right, magic even but at the end appears to be empty and never fulfilling, tantalising to continuously to be on the look out for.
This is a really important point for us each to remember as we can be fooled by the light we want to see rather than be discerning and see the light that is there to be seen. Time reveals the truth of all but it is a wise person who learns to discern from feeling rather than seeing.
Magic is in every moment of every day as we consider that everything is energy, that we are divine beings in a human body moving in a world that is the creation of human and that this world we are given by God is constantly reflecting to us that we are so much more then we allow ourselves to believe. That is the magic world we live in, we only have to open our eyes for it to see it as the reality we live in.
Offering our children, the magic of the simplicity in life is a true marker of how they can remain grounded in a world that is so often pushing and pulling to elate and stimulate at every corner.
and exactly the same applies to adults!
Correct, how do we educate, raise, inspire children supports the adults they will become….Appreciating the simple details of life, the reflection of nature as we grow up can set a strong foundation for life. A foundation where we spend a lot more time in the present moment rather than seeking to be fulfilled by something outside of ourselves. You are on to something with this push to be stimulated and entertained, it is big business in our world and it enters childhood at a very young age, marketing is rife even for toddlers. However as adults we can choose how we interact with all of these things and how we support our children to navigate in life. I agree we as adults seek this simulation also, so as always if we can heal and resolve our own issues, we are true role models for others.
We have fallen for the sparkles and lights as we have got bogged down in the every day and have forgotten to look up at the stars above, smell the fragrance of nature or feel the warmth of the sun and the delicateness of a gentle breeze on our face. There are so many moments of my childhood that I remember fondly and they had nothing to do with what I was given as presents or clothes… I appreciated it but the moments I loved the most was when we played, danced, ate, and jumped on the trampoline together in our very own back yard. Connection is the greatest gift of all.
It is no wonder we get cut off from the magic that is all around us and in us when we get raised with the Tooth Fairy and Santa and so on. Which later turn out to not exist (if we did not know that already from the start…). This makes it seem that all the magic that we thought was there is not real and does not exist. If we would raise our children knowing that indeed there is magic in nature, in life generally then we learn it is consistent and always there for us to see.
You had my full attention with your first sentence, in fact with the first few words: âI have been growing up with my children for the last nine yearsâŚ..â. I am sure I have never heard a parent share this as most of us have the belief that we are the grown ups and as such it is our responsibility to teach our children to grow up. But what if these beautiful little beings already have everything they need and the wisdom to live their own lives, and all we are there to do is to support them to retain, explore and expand on the wonderful beings they naturally are? Now that to me is where the magic begins.
A child is not a helpless ignorant being. A child is equal to an adult in essence and it is also a spirit in a small body. Children can be the one wanting all the fantasy and rejecting and in fear of true connection. The truth is true parenting is about expressing truth and love to our children, this responsibility is then lived in all sorts of ways possible in all the patience needed. But as parents first we have to come out of this illusion ourselves.
Well said Adele. Coming out of the illusion is not necessarily easy when the whole world seems to be trying to keep us in it but it is possible and how freeing and empowering it is. True magic is in us and all around us all the time ..it is for us to feel and live, reflecting and thus sharing.
We think of magic as singular moments where the unexpected happens and we donât know how – but Iâm beginning to see is that true magic sums up the alchemy thatâs constantly at play in life, and in which we have a huge say. Magic is how supported we are when we align to Love.
I love what you share here Joseph – if we engage in and with the magic, the magic expands.