“Mama, do you believe in magic?” She asked me with a curious look on her face. Kids do not wait for the perfect time to ask you a question. When I need to speak to my husband about something that may require more than a yes or no answer, I will wait for a “good time” to talk to him about it. That “good time” might be after the kids have gone to bed. Kids, however, do not wait. They don’t care if you are tired. They don’t care if you’re hungry. They don’t care if you’ve had a long day or if you have five million other things on your mind. They ask you something the minute it comes to their mind. As a parent, you learn that you often have to think on your feet because a five-year-old does not wait for a good time.

When my daughter asked me the magic question, I was not sure how to answer. My first thought was if I told her no, what about Santa Claus? The Easter Bunny? Mickey Mouse and Disney World? Instead of coming up with an answer right then, I shifted the conversation. I asked her, “Did someone at school talk about magic today?” She replied, “Yeah and some kids said that some magic isn’t for real. Like unicorns.” My heart sank. I want my little girl to believe in unicorns until she is thirty! OK, maybe not thirty, but you get the idea. I asked her, “Well what do you believe? Do you believe in unicorns?” “Well I don’t know mama, but I think that they live in a magical land like Peter Pan does.” I replied, “Well, it sounds like you believe in unicorns!” She quickly exclaimed, “Yeah I guess I do believe in unicorns! Oh mommy, I’m so happy. I love unicorns.” The conversation moved towards the rest of her school day.

Throughout the day, I kept thinking about the magic question. I went back to it several times in my mind. I started thinking back to when I found out my parents were Santa or that the Tooth Fairy was my mom. It made me sad to think that in just a few years, perhaps even sooner than that, my oldest daughter would no longer believe in these magical stories.

In that moment, I had a thought that “believing in magic” does not have to mean Santa, unicorns or the Tooth Fairy. I want both my girls to never forget that. Special moments in life that give you butterflies in your stomach or cause you to realize there has to be a creator, a plan, a reason for life are all magical.

Time will seem to stop when you slow dance with someone special. That’s magical.  Spotting a rainbow after a stressful day. That’s magical. Your first kiss. That’s magical.

Finding a new best friend. Falling in love. Going to your first concert. Seeing snow fall for the first time. Visiting the Grand Canyon. Talking for hours on the phone with someone you’ve connected with. Giving to someone in need. Looking at the stars and knowing you are never alone in the universe. Experiencing a miracle. All are magical.

These wondrous life experiences and so many more await you. Here’s the thing though, to experience this magic, you have to be open to it. Life isn’t magical if you’re sitting on the sidelines. You have to be an active participant. You’ve got to take it all in and then some. Be sure to enjoy the beauty of the rainstorm while you wait for the rainbow. Enjoy the other seasons while you wait for the snowfall. Fall in love with yourself first. Don’t just talk, write. Don’t just give money, give time. Look at the stars knowing there is always a new day ahead. And when you experience a miracle, don’t take it for granted. That’s where the real magic lives.