This Easter my Grandtoys (grandchildren) reached a milestone.
A bit of sleuthing by my eight-year-old granddaughter, J____ revealed Mommy is the Easter Bunny.
It seems the receipt for the candy Mommy bought caused some curiosity, especially when she snatched it from J____’s hand and forbade her to read it.
The night before Easter my daughter had wondered out loud to her friends how long she must keep up the pretense of the Easter Bunny, since her kids are eight and eleven, long past when most kids’ faith has been altered.
When the bunny was out of the bag, she was worried about the repercussions on the fragile psyche of her kids. J___ simply said, “You’ve been going to all this trouble for us? Thank you, Mommy!” Hug.
No tears. No anguish. Just raw appreciation for the efforts Mommy made to bring fun and joy to her children.
“I guess this means you’re Santa too.”
“Yep.”
“Oh.”
No drama there, either.
My nephew was seven when his sister was born. My sister, his mom warned him when he figured out the truth. “You will not spoil your sister’s fun. As long as you comply, Santa will leave you gifts too.” Worked like a charm!
Magic and make-believe are vital components of a great childhood. But things change. We grow up. We must face the realities of life. We have to put away childish games and thoughts.
Does that mean we abandon magic? Absolutely not!
As adults we get to MAKE magic. We stretch our budgets to give gifts, which we often give anonymously or on behalf of a make-believe being. We pretend to be someone else simply to bring a smile to a child’s face. As adults we have the power to bring magic into the lives of people around us. We get to be angels.
If you’ve ever seen the shining eyes of a child who has been touched by magic, you know how precious it is.
While receiving magic is wonderful, the true joy is in giving magic. Ask any grandparent.
PS: What do you call a rabbit whose field is anesthesiology?
The Ether Bunny!
