A Letter to My Daughter
Dear Caroline,
The other night you asked me if Santa was real. You’re almost 9 years old now, and I knew this day was coming sooner rather than later. But still it was hard. A huge part of my heart hurt when I told you the truth. It hurt because you looked so sad, even though you tried to keep a brave face about it. It hurt because it felt pretty crummy on my end of things; like I’d perpetrated a huge lie all these years, and now in one fell swoop, I had to take it all down. But mostly it hurt because the possibility of magic is forever gone in your eyes. In fact, when I asked you how you were feeling about all of this, you immediately said: “It’s ok Mom. I know there’s no such thing as magic anyway. Everything is science.”
I wanted to stop you right there. I wanted to tell you that you were wrong. But I didn’t. Mostly because I was so shocked to hear such sophisticated words come out of your young mouth. Followed by a really strong sense of sadness that you could already be so cynical. I’ve thought about this for days now, Caroline. And here’s what I should have said to you.
Yes. Everything is science. But honey, science is magic too especially when you consider the fact that magic is simply the idea of something seemingly impossible happening. There is magic going on around us everywhere we look. The birth of a new baby, the leaves changing color in the fall, the beautiful red moon we saw a few weeks back. I know that scientists can tell us how all these things happen. But to our eyes, still, they are magic.
And Caroline, there is magic beyond what science can measure. One day you will find someone and fall in love. Whole-heartedly in love. And there will be no rhyme or reason for it, no equation science can give you for how your heart feels. It may be that one day you’ll be a mother. And even though every doctor will tell you biologically exactly how your baby forms in the womb and is born, you will know in your heart that magic is afoot. And when they put that sweet baby in your arms and you see him or her for the first time, the spool of unconditional love that is completely unexplainable will unravel inside you and you will never be the same again. In just one moment. Changed forever. Magic.
In all of this sweet girl, I want you to hold onto the magic. Even though you now know that the slew of characters the world has created for children is not real, don’t become a doubter or a cynic. I have found that magic exists everywhere if you are willing to look for it. My wish for you is to look for the magic everywhere: in other people, in animals (it’s abundant there), in nature. Don’t always fall for the cynicism of science. There’s plenty there that’s unexplained too. Rather reach for the wonder of the everyday. You, Caroline, are a walking miracle; magic at its finest. You don’t need a man in a sleigh to believe in. Just bask in the wonder of the everyday.
Love, Mom
If you would like to learn how to better lead your life, how to create better direction and clarity, and how to really learn who you are as a person, we invite you to experience the magic of the horses. We will be meeting in Morgan Hill, CA (just south of San Jose) on November 15, 2014, from 9:30 - 4:30. Check out our website for more details. http://connectwithhorses.com/
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