The Wand That Didn’t Work

When my daughter was 4 years old, I bought her an inexpensive light-up wand to go with her princess Halloween costume. She played with the wand for a few minutes, then complained to me that it didn’t work.

“Sure it does,” I told her. “You just flip the switch and it lights up.” “No,” she said. “I mean it doesn’t do magic.” When I understood what she meant, I felt a mix of emotions — from amusement to real sadness at her disappointment. More than anything I wanted to assure her — broken wand notwithstanding — magic was indeed very much hers.

A new age mom, I hold to the notion that our beliefs shape our reality and our thoughts have the power to attract what we want to us. But how do I share this with a 4 year old? And how do I stand up to the borage of questioning that was sure to follow if I told her she was the possessor of this awesome magic — especially with my own understanding a little bit shaky?

At the time I just gave her a hug and chose to say nothing. I suppose the best course of action depends on your unique situation, but in retrospect I feel my internal guidance didn’t mislead me. When my daughter, some years later, came to the realization on her own that she could call to her the things she wanted most, it was all the more powerful.