Last night I heard my 6 year old ask my husband (who is completely wonderful, but also sees the world in black and white terms and is skeptical of all things unexplained) if he believes in magic. I was in the other room and just waited to hear what the answer might be.

Questions about magic, unseen creatures, and unknown mysteries have been quite the talk of the first grade carpools and after-school activities. It has been interesting to hear and also hear the other parents’ reactions. Is it a lie to teach your kids to believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy? Is it the wonder of a magical season? Is it something else?

My husband replied with the best answer, in my humble opinion, “Well, what do you think?”

The boy launched to a whole tale about how Grammy explained to him that magicians do tricks that look like magic, that look real, but all they are is just fake, fake, fake. This is also the kid that told his brother he had such a big imagination for believing the ski instructor about the Abominable Snowman. This is the kid that told me he knows the Tooth Fairy isn’t real because a book he read stated that fairies are mythical. Skeptic.

This is not what I want for him. I want him to see the magic that exists in the world, for what it is and what it could be… and I believe it starts with the magic of childhood. Belief in the known and unknown…

photo credit: flickr

I want him to see the magic and mystery of the natural world… marvel at how no two snowflakes are alike, wonder at the sailing stones of the Mojave Desert, delight in the fantastical beauty of an aurora, celebrate the unusual and incredible flora and fauna of this planet, and be astounded at the man-made wonders of the world.

photo credit: flickr

We don’t know everything about the world, how it works, what is out there… There is so much we can’t see and believe in anyway. Dark matter completely confounds me, as does much about wrapping my mind around time and space. But I believe in science, even though it isn’t perfect. And yes, I believe there is magic in science.

photo credit: flickr

I want him to experience the magic I felt when I walked down the aisle and saw my husband-to-be for the first time that day, in my dress, surrounded by loved ones, surrounded by a gorgeous setting, and all I saw was his eyes.

I want him to experience the magic I felt when each of my babies was born, when I watched them sleep, when I watched them learn and grow and be simply amazing.

I want him to experience the magic of love.

I want him to let his imagination run wild with possibilities of things seen and unseen.

I want him to believe in magic and magical creatures because they do exist, although perhaps not as a child might expect. I want him to believe in the idea that we know little, but desire more. I want him to understand that he is both tiny and huge in this world and beyond. I want him to use this belief and knowledge to do more, be more, and expect more.

I want him to be curious and questioning, but always remember the magic and miracles of life. There is more to life than only believing what you can see…

So my challenge for you for this “Make Things Monday” is to make a little magic for someone around you. What magic will you make?