Magic is Everywhere, Even my Adulthood

“Do you believe in miracles? Well, you should. In fact, life itself is a miracle. There are so many things that are beyond our understanding. There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein 

I loved being a kid. What I loved the most was the magic of it all. When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes (T1D). Every single day since July 28th 2004, I have pricked my finger, counted my carbohydrates, and distributed perfectly calculated amounts of insulin into my body. When I was little, I hated having T1D. Every Christmas I would write, “a cure for T1D” at the top of my Christmas list. My hope was that maybe since Santa was magical, he could gift me the cure. Every Christmas morning I would run down the stairs, tumbling over my own two feet, as I rushed to see what Santa brought. I would immediately be distracted by the beautiful princess gowns, the plastic “glass” slippers, and the glistening diamond tiaras. Then soon after I opened all of my wonderful gifts, my mother would call me into the kitchen, to give me my morning shot. At the same moment the syringe pierced my body, I would already start to make my Christmas list for the following year.

Throughout my childhood, anytime I felt or found magic I would hold onto it. Whether it was the tooth fairy, mermaids, or the Easter bunny. I couldn’t get enough. I loved the magic of believing, and I never depended on logic or reasoning to approve of my beliefs. If I didn’t have a friend, I created one. Whether it be my babydoll or my stuffed animal, my imagination and belief in magic allowed me to never feel alone. I made my own life magical because I was in control of how my fairytale ended. Even though I would immediately be pulled back to earth after I jumped off the couch, I loved being able to fly. I loved that my dog Harry and I spoke a secret language. And I loved having a mood ring that always knew my feelings. As I reflect on my childhood, I realize that my unwavering belief in magic is what I miss most. During those beautiful childhood years, I was the author. I wrote the endings that now only exist in my dreams.

When I started this blog post, I planned on talking about how I am reluctant to leave behind the magic of being a child. But the truth is, I have no intention of leaving it all behind. I realize now, that seeing magic is a choice. I intend for my adult life to be equally as magical as my childhood. I am eager to find magic in the most unlikely of places. The child in me loves Santa and still watches the Disney Princess movies, only now my perception of them is different. Instead of seeking results, I use them for inspiration. As a child I believed magic was in receiving, but as I begin to approach adulthood, I realize that the best magic comes from giving. Giving of our time, giving compliments, and giving love.

 

You too are magic, never forget that!

 Have you ever gotten a compliment from a stranger on the street about a piece of clothing that you are wearing? Or have you ever had someone unexpectedly tell you how much they love your laugh? It is a magical thing to hear right? I think the ones that are random or from a stranger are the best kind because you know they are genuine. I have so many friends that will pass someone on the street and then 30 seconds after they will tell me, how much they loved that sun dress that she was wearing. Why wouldn’t you tell her when you just passed her? How amazing would you feel if someone told you that? Pretty magical right? Boom! Missed opportunity to create magic! Not cool, but it’s okay we are all learning!

We have so much power to make people feel good, yet we don’t use it enough. I often wonder why that is. Everyone wants to feel good, have affirmation that they are doing good and be appreciated but there is an abundance of positive thoughts that people just keep to themselves. Why does it almost come off as weird to give strangers compliments? It is almost like it is so rare and foreign that you come off rare and foreign for saying something nice. Does anyone else feel that? Society it does not need to be like that, we need to work on this ASAP! There is so much power and magic in flattering someone. Why do you think the kids I babysit tell me I look beautiful right before they ask me for a cookie? Yeah I know, powerful stuff.

Anyway, back to magic. Matter cannot be created nor destroyed because matter is physical, but magic is based on interpretation. We have the ability to see magic everywhere or nowhere. We have the power to create magic or destroy it. So which world do you want to live in the magical one filled with color or the black and white one where everything tastes the same? Yeah me too.

So yes, it is true that we will age. We will take on more responsibilities, and we will all one day or another become adults. But there is a small part of me that, just like Peter Pan, “will never grow up”. I don’t believe the path to adulthood, requires us to lose our inner child, rather it challenges us to incorporate that inner child into our “grown up” lives. What I am most eager to embrace as I move into adulthood is a life that combines the responsibility and wisdom of adulthood with the same zest and magic that was present in my childhood.

I only hope more people choose a similar fairytale to live, I think it would be more magical that way!

Love Always,

Casey