No matter what age they get to be (even now as a teenager, gasp!), my kids still crave the traditions created throughout their childhood – when they were “little.” The ones that let them continue to believe in the magic of childhood and the ones that let them still be “little” kids in a world that wants to turn them into small adults by the time they age out of Baby Gap are all the more cherished – because those traditions give them permission to be the kids they are, still, on the inside, regardless of how old/mature/cool they appear to be on the outside.
I have tried my hardest to institute and create a bevy of family traditions over the years. Some flat out failed and some were downright disliked for whatever reason, but there are a few gems that stuck, that resonated with all of us on one level or another, and that we (and especially me, I admit, as the facilitator) guard and cherish more and more each year as their elusive childhoods seem to be slipping away each day.
One special annual tradition that lives on in our household is that of “The Birthday Fairy.” Weeks prior to his birthday this year, Kendall was dropping hints that The Birthday Fairy was still expected, and he very was excited about it, regardless of the fact that he would be turning thirteeen.
The Birthday Fairy arose out of the magical fairy dust that surrounds childhood like an impenetrable force field. Akin to Leprechauns and Santa Claus, The Birthday Fairy comes to you on your birthday, when you are sleeping, and only if you believe and honor that belief. Like the jingle of the sleigh bell from Santa’s reindeer that only children whose belief is true can hear, only those who truly believe they have a Birthday Fairy who watches over us throughout every year can experience and feel the magic of this special once-a-year visit.
On your special day, The Birthday Fairy showers you with many surprises: Fairy Dust on the floor – a veritable treasure trail of sparkles that indicates through which minute crack or hole they were able to access your room (it changes every year); magical and festive streamers hung on your door – one streamer per each year of age; gold coins – again, one coin for each year – left in a collectible keepsake satchel; and, the most prized treasure, a handwritten note left by your Birthday Fairy, addressed only to you, recounting your accomplishments throughout the past year with pride. Your Birthday Fairy always expresses how lucky they are to claim you as their very own.
As time slips away and the magical, mystical creatures of childhood are brought into question, endlessly scrutinized, and proven false by our kids who once so fully and willingly believed and defended it all, we parents are left to search for the last of the magical fairy dust that remains, to guard it, to preserve it, and to pass it down. In doing so, our children, as adults themselves one day, may experience these magical moments and traditions once again – through their own children’s wondrous eyes and pure belief in possibility.