As the Director of a theatre school, I see magical moments in action ALL the time.
- A child lights up on stage during a solo song.
- A parent thanks a teacher for the newfound confidence their child has gained.
- A shy child opens up after a few weeks and joins in with a drama game.
- A cast bands together to lift their show to the next level at dress rehearsal…
I could go on forever!
But what I’ve been thinking about more and more lately is those magical moments we can bring right into our own homes. It’s so easy to fall into routine with our families and forget about the moments that matter.
I know I need to remind myself often.
You know the moments I mean. Think back to your own childhood and I’ll bet you can come up with 3 moments that really lit up your life. I’m talking about those everyday moments that made you smile, made you feel safe and just made that day in your life more wondrous.
I can remember 3 moments that make me smile right now…
Magical Moment #1 – Lolly Night
Every Friday night was ‘Lolly Night’ in our home. We’d gather together and walk down to the corner milk bar (remember them?) and choose a treat. Sounds simple enough right? Well I guess it was but it was always really more about HOW we did it than WHAT we did. You see, we didn’t just walk to the milk bar, it was mandatory to travel using ‘big-skips.’ This involved Dad taking our hands and launching into huge skips down the steep hill. The aim was to keep up as he hoisted us into the air with grand momentum.
Pure joy right there.
Magical Moment #2 – Sunday Shirley Temple & Gardening
I developed quite an obsession with Shirley Temple films as a kid and conveniently, they would screen on TV every Sunday at midday. As we know kids love reliable routines so racing in from the car after mass to watch Shirley was the start of my Sunday schedule. Unlike nowadays, everything was then closed on Sundays so the afternoons were spent in the garden with the whole family. I never contributed much to the actual gardening (nothing much has changed!) but the feeling of sun on my skin and dirt in my hands and the bubble we created in our front yard made me completely happy.
Magical Moment #3 – The Hobyahs
My grandfather on my mum’s side was affectionately and appropriately named ‘Pa-the-Farmer.’ We were part of a large extended family and so often when we stayed on the farm there would be a multitude of cousins along for the ride. Pa was a natural storyteller and The Hobyahs was our favourite. Even the tiniest of the cousins knew the ‘hop-hop-hopping and skip-skip-skipping’ parts by heart and we delighted in being scared out of our wits upon his dramatic crescendo at the climax of the story. Sitting at his feet we loved feeling scared but very safe all at once – a truly magical moment we still remember when all we get together even now.
In a way, without any effort at all, these repeated moments became some of our family traditions and a part of who we are as a unit. They were the glittery, precious moments that mattered, far more than an expensive holiday or material ‘things.’ They became our shared Magical Moments.
I’m sure you’re sitting there thinking of a few moments from your own childhood. How do these memories make you feel? What if we could easily create these kinds of moments for ourselves and our own families every day?
A daily-dose of magical energy you could say.
Welcome to ‘Magical Moments Made Easy.’ Every month you’ll receive inspiration for sprinkling a little sparkle around your home in the form of memorable moments in time.
Look, I know you have a lot on your plate so the focus is on EASY. I promise, no elaborate preparation involved! We’ll simply share ideas on how to bring these small but oh-so-important moments to life within your family.
Want in? Let’s do this.
I’ll send you 3 tips per month to help inspire Magical Moments at your house. Your family won’t know what hit them with all that joy bouncing around!
CLICK HERE to receive your first 3 Magical Moment Tips to spread the Magic!
I can’t wait to hear all about it.