Do you believe in magic?
So, do you believe in magic? I don't mean the magic in a young girl's heart, I mean
real magic. Like stuff mysteriously appearing out of thin air? If you answered, no, then let me take this opportunity to change your mind.
The Magic Sand
This particular feat of magic took place in the late 20
th century in my own backyard. It was the beginning of summer and the kids wanted a sandbox to play in. I was able to find a nice, turtle-shaped sandbox but none of the stores had sand. I spent days trying to find a store with sand, traveling 100's of miles, but there wasn't a grain to be had. I was about to give up when I saw store with a sign in the window reading, "Magic Sand Sold Here." I didn't believe in "magic sand" but I was desperate so I went in.
When I opened the door I immediately saw an old woman sitting behind the counter - she looked to be 100 years old and she turned her head in my direction as I walked in. I told her my tale and that I was desperate for about 200 pounds of sand for my children's sandbox. She held a crooked finger in the air and, with her other hand reached under the counter. When her hand reappeared she was holding a small plastic bag with about a half-cup of sand. I took the bag and laughed! How was I going to fill a sandbox with a half-cup of sand? She told me it was "magic sand", I was to put it in the sandbox, say the magic words, cover the sandbox and the next morning it will be full.
Well... I knew
someone was full of
something but I was desperate. I paid $10 for the bag of sand and went home to my wife and children. My wife gave me a "look" when I told everyone about the sand and asked if I had any "magic beans", too. It was getting late so we dumped the sand into the sandbox, said the magic words and put the cover on. I'm not sure who was more curious the next morning, me or the kids. We had our breakfast and went outside to check the sandbox. I had already come up with a story about why the sandbox was still empty but, lo and behold!, when we removed the cover the sandbox was full! I know what you are thinking but it's true! You can ask my wife and kids - some time between when the kids went to bed and we finished eating breakfast the sandbox filled up with sand. It truly was magic.
Do you believe now?
Well? Do you?
Let me ask you another question. Have you ever noticed that in the middle of the word "believe" is the word "lie"? I didn't either until earlier this week. Believe me when I tell you that the "magic sand" was a hoax. Yes, that's right! As far as I know, there is no magic sand. I decided to have some fun with the kids. We had already gotten the sandbox and I told them I was going out for sand. I went to Home Depot and bought the 200 pounds I needed and then went to the beach before heading for home. I brought a sandwich bag with me, scooped up some sand and put the bag on the front seat of the car. When I got home I made up the story of the magic sand; we put the sand in the box, said some magic words and covered the box. When they went to bed that night I went outside and filled the sandbox.
The looks on the children's faces when I took off the lid of the sandbox was priceless, unfortunately there are no photos. They truly believed that the sand was magic and couldn't wait to start playing. They spent a lot of time in that sandbox that summer and it always brings a smile to my face when I think about it. It was such a simple thing but the memories will last a lifetime.
Now that I think about it, when I said that the "magic sand" was a hoax I may have been lying just a bit. While the sand didn't magically multiply overnight it did make two young children believe in magic and it gave a family one more wonderful memory. If that isn't magical, I don't know what is.
In Closing
The moral of the story is simple - you don't have to spend a lot of money or go to exotic lands for vacation, a little bit of imagination and spending time together is really what life is all about. My daughter recently posted a meme on her Facebook page that read:
"A child is going to remember who was there, not what you spent on them. Kids outgrow a toy & outfits, but they never outgrow time and love." I believe that to be true but would change it a bit. They may remember the expensive gifts or big vacations but they won't cherish them as much as they will time spent together. While the kids outgrew the sandbox (we still have it but it isn't being used) they never outgrew the memory. Children have a way of making us understand what is important in life, if we will only listen.
I hope you enjoyed this trip down Memory Lane and would love to hear from you. Have you done anything similar for your children or your parents do something like this for you? Do you have a favorite family memory that you would like to share? Leave comments below - I love hearing from my readers.
Until next time - enjoy your summer and make sure you are making memories, not just plans!
Sandbox image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
"Yellow shovel" image is copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved and may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use the image you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com
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