She wants to know about economic policy, and she wants to skip along the strand.
She wants to know about civil rights, and she wants to jump the incoming waves.
She wants to know about presidents and also where the dragons live.
She wants to know about food closets and whether the elves are producing at top speed with only a month or so left before Christmas.
She wonders where homeless people will sleep in the coming rains and whether she can fly if given the right materials and designs.
“What’s a tax shelter?”
“Will the Tooth Fairy come tonight?”
I am so struggling with this dichotomy of growth, this ability now to see the world in a different, more realistic light and yet still believe in magic.
I want to inform her, to fill her brain with all that she wants to know, to feed this insatiable, uniquely human desire for knowledge, and I want to preserve whatever mysteries of childhood remain. I want her to know how good she has it in this first world bubble of comfort, but I don’t want to break her.
I want her to hunger for knowledge and not be burdened by it. Maybe more than one of us still believes in magic.
Magic in the world is the only thing that helps stave the madness and frustration I feel at the “realities” that life slings my way.
The news, politics, petty arguments with drivers on the road — these things make us more humanoid, and less supernatural.
And I don’t want to succumb to the feeling of being mortal. It’s a tender balance though. For me, being informed and being brainwashed by the bullshit of life are on equal footing these days.
Can’t we be filled with magic and deal with the real world?
I’m dealing with the same but you put it beautifully, Mike.
Great, great point. And I would certainly hope so.
But here’s the thing. We, as adults, know both sides: the real and the magical. We sometimes choose to ignore one or the other. Cool. But in the end, we’re aware of the cynical realities of the everyday.
Kids up until a certain point actually believe in magic — Santa, fairies, whatever. I guess I’m just struggling with this period where I want her to really start to love learning, but it comes at this cost of innocence. Stop growing, children!
That was really beautiful.
Ack, I posted too late. Response to charlie’s insights. And I’m sending good thoughts for a few more years of magic your way, AHU.
Damn it! Now I missed yours, Anny. Thanks!
I still believe in magic.
When she’s ready to stop believing, she’ll let you know. My oldest had a good friend out Santa to her a few years ago. (Age 6 at the time.) She told me, “Bella said there’s no Santa, that our parents leave out the gifts.” I asked her what she thought, and she said, “I told her she was wrong, bc, why would our parents do that & not just tell us? And why would our parents give us other gifts too? That doesn’t make any sense.” She’s 9 now, and still believes.
Over time, I’ve gotten lots of questions that could change their minds; “Why do we put up X-mas lights?” (To help Santa find our house.) “Why doesn’t everyone put them up?” (Not everyone believes in Santa, and that’s fine, but he won’t come if you don’t believe in him. He’s a busy guy, you have to have some faith or he has to move on.”) Often my answers to questions are, “I’m not sure” or “What do you think?” And we discuss options and make decisions. We recently decided there are multiple tooth fairies and that they have a route each night, so if you lose your tooth later in the day the tooth fairy might not be able to visit til the next night. (CYA for a forgotten tooth.)
I suspect my 9yo has a good idea about a few of these things, but she still wants to believe and as long as she wants to believe, I’m right there w/her. (Course the 6yo is in hurry to grow up, so I’m sure she’ll stop believing soon. Maybe even before her big sister.) I hope not, I much prefer magic to not.