Magic is all around

And how my kids have reminded me of it

Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about becoming a mum has been reliving the magic of being a child through my children’s eyes. It’s glorious beyond words and I’m not the first to say it. But, I don’t know exactly how to explain the purity of it, because it’s not exactly what I expected.

You see, it’s not just the joy of doing childish things again, although that part really is good fun. But, I knew to expect that bit when I was pregnant with my first and it’s more than that.

It’s sitting with the wonder of what magic and life and the world around a little person might look like and feel like. It’s imagining what a flower or a wave or a butterfly or a bug might look like from their little, innocent, pure world view.

You — more literally than I anticipated — really do see the world through their eyes. Flowers that you never used to notice passing along your street become more colourful. Shells become a collector’s item once more. The stars look as though they were put in the sky just for you and your kid. It’s bees and bugs and watching them find their favourite tee shirt and trying to put their shoes on and seeing your face as you run into daycare. It’s all magic and it’s all around them.

And just as I was combing through my phone to find photos that reminded me of this theme of childhood magic, I found this perfect excerpt from my favourite coffee table book, The Guide to Becoming Alive. This captures perfectly what it is that kids do. You build new worlds together. You imagine what life might look like through their lives and you stop and sit with them and breathe a little deeper as you imagine it.

And so, with all this in mind, I thought I’d make a little list of all of the ways that my children remind me that magic really is all around. If you’re feeling low, I highly recommend making your own. It’s a tonic for the soul.