Fairy Tale Magic

That's the thing with magic. You've got to know it's still here,
all around us, or it just stays invisible for you.

Charles de Lint

(I purchased the above plate in 1993. Wind it up and it plays a beautiful rendition of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow')

'Once Upon a Time', 'Sleepy Hollow', 'Grimm', and now we have 'Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.'  I absolutely love these new fairy tales for adults and look forward to see what is coming next.   It tells me the magic is coming back, that magic we believed in when we were children....angels, fairies, trolls, fairy tale princesses who lived happily ever after, Tinker Bell, Red Riding Hood, Alice...Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, the man in the Moon. Oh how we love our fairy tales! And how many of us remember fighting to stay awake as we waited for the Tooth Fairy to arrive or to hear the sound of Santa's reindeer on our roof.  Our gardens, the woods, forests, teemed with magical creatures of all kinds.  My goodness, the world was such a magical place when we were young! Why did it have to change?

I still love reading fairy tales and have a well worn copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales to prove it. On my Kindle I have the complete set of Andrew Lang's fairy books, and I love losing myself in them whenever I am feeling down.  Fairy tales not only remind me of  my childhood, but they also serve as a reminder that that there is still magic in the world. And in my life I have learned that the princess actually CAN find her prince, and the fairy godmother can and will show up when we least expect her. We may not even recognize her when she appears. 

I know there are those of us do not believe in the the magical story of the princess who finds her prince and lives happily ever after or of good always triumphing over evil. But, perhaps, one need not look any further than their loved ones to see that their handsome prince has been there all along. And, when one reaches out to help another without any expectations of return, isn't good triumphing over evil?

The world is a magical place. Just because you have grown accustomed to the magic does not make it any less so.

Ralph Marston

Magic is something beautiful, special, wondrous, and yes, there is a magic in our world, but, alas, far too many of us are too busy to see it.  Magic surrounds us every day as we leave the shelter of our homes and venture out into the world--the beauty of a sunrise or a sunset, the leaves as they change color and fall from the trees, crinkling under our feet, the stars twinkling in the night sky.  How many of us have wished upon a star?  And, yes, whenever I look out of the window and see one lone star twinkling in the sky above me, I still find myself mouthing the familiar words...

 Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

 I believe.