Small confession.
I am a wizard. Of
sorts. That is to say I am parent,
raised by magical parents.
I have never been to Hogwarts, but I’m pretty sure I was
homeschooled when it came to all things magical. There were no robes or wands,
just the understanding that my parents could do things. Now that I am
a mom, I have found that I also possess certain skills and abilities that make
my son look at me with wonder and amazement.
The first example is known by all parents and kids: Kiss it
Better. My son is quick to point out that it doesn’t always work. That is when
I bring in the big guns – The Band Aid. Where my kiss failed, a small plastic
bandage with Ernie on it does the trick. Ta-Da!
Birthday decorations: I love birthdays! Not just mine, but everybody else’s too. When
my son is asleep on the night before his birthday (or his dad’s birthday) is
when the decorations go up. There are no pretenses about elves or fairies. There
doesn’t need to be. The look of awe on Henry’s face when he gets up in the
morning is all the evidence I need to know that he has witnessed something
amazing. When he went to sleep, the walls and doorways of our townhouse were
bland and unadorned. And by morning, brightly colored streamers, spirals, and
banners hang from corners, nooks, and chandeliers, announcing our festive intentions
to whomever enters our home. Poof!
I won’t give away all my tricks, but last night, I discovered
a new spell. My son had nightmares over the weekend and was reluctant to go to
sleep yesterday because he didn’t want to have more bad dreams. While I am used to his declarations of “I don’t
need to sleep tonight, Mommy,” there was a note in his voice and manor that
conveyed genuine fear. As I towel dried his hair, I cavalierly told him that I
would sing him a special magic song before bed that would make sure he had good
dreams. His little face was intrigued. We settled into our evening rituals and
I realized I did not know any magical Chase the Nightmares Away songs. Not even a poem. My son
is smart – he will know if I am making up a story or song as I go, I told
myself. He will also not forget that I
promised him something special. I
silently panicked while he snuggled next to me and watched Curious George. What am I going to do? I envisioned some other mom breaking out her guitar and quickly penning a song in the ten minutes before bedtime and cursed my lack of songwriting prowess. Then the glimmer
of an idea took hold, and I crossed my fingers that I would not be struck down
by the Copyright or Karma Gods.
My little boy laid his head on his pillow and looked at me
expectantly. I held his hand and sang:
Close your eyes, have
no fear
The monster’s gone, he’s
on the run
And your Mommy’s here.
Oh beautiful,
beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy.
Before you go to
sleep, hold my hand.
Good dreams will
happen to you while you’re busy making other plans.
Oh beautiful,
beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy.
Darling, darling,
darling, darling boy.
This “special magic song” earned me two sweet smiles and an
uninterrupted night of sleep.
I may not have gone to Hogwarts, but I know magic
when I see it.
