“Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.” — Betty Smith
She believes in the magic. Last night, our daughter laid out cookies and milk for Santa at the front door. This morning she darted to the door and exclaimed, “Momma, Santa came. He ate my cookies and drank the milk.” She eyed the presents and complimented Santa’s ability to wrap. For most of the morning, wonder captured her attention. And isn’t that the whole point? To be engulfed in a moment that appears to have no beginning or ending.
I hope all of you experience the grace of the present and are swallowed whole by the love of family, friends, and spirit.
Happy Holidays.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Seeing the magic and wonder of life through the eyes of a child, as if it was the first time, is glorious.
What a beautiful post!
Beautiful :) Hugs.
I am loving the fact that, like you, my 8 year old is still full of wonder!!
Christmas is so sweet through the eyes of a child. It is nice that your daughter believes. I think there is a magic in that.
This year has been an odd transition for us in terms of Santa. My son is 9 and deep down I believe he knows Santa is us – and yet a big part of him wants to keep believing. We have in turn been mirroring his doubts. He left a plate of cookies out for Santa and in our exhaustion the night before, we completely, completely forgot all about them…in the morning my son cried, “Santa didn’t eat my cookies!” I felt sad because I knew that we had not put in the same effort to keep the belief alive as we had when he was younger.
But we still had a lovely Christmas :-)