Annual Magic Lessons

The Island of Misfits
Gingerbread Showcase 2019
Victoria, BC
Habitat for Humanity

Annual Magic Lessons

“Magic and music?! Well, Serena, that’s just silly.” Harry loved teasing his little niece about Christmas and was always chastised if his mother caught him. “I can hear music and I love to whistle along, so I know it’s real. But magic? Come on, little one, why do you say 'Magic and Music are Christmas'?”

“Well, Uncle Harry, just because it is.” Serena was very patient with this uncle. She knew he was teasing her but this was a serious issue for her. She worried about him a lot at Christmas time, ‘cause that’s when he teased her the most.

“That’s not a good enough answer, young lady And besides that’s the answer I always got from your grandmother when I was your age. Now, tell me….if there’s magic, where is it? I want to see it.”

“Well, for one, Santa comes down the chimney, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, that’s the way the story goes. But…….”

“..And we don’t have a chimney, do we? So, Santa got in last night anyway. He must have magic, right?”

“Well….it could be kind of….I’ll have to think about that.”

“And then there’s the lights and the Christmas Tree.”

“How is that magic?”

“Well, the lights are all a mess when daddy gets them out. And the tree is not even a real tree. But when we put all the lights and decorations on the tree and turn the lights on then all sorts of pretty colours and sparkles happen! And I’m getting tired of explaining all this to you again this year. Do all grown-ups forget about magic things, Uncle Harry? Let’s go in the kitchen and find the magic cookies….and they are magic ‘cause mom puts flour and eggs and milk and sugar all together and now they are sugar cookies with icing and sparkles. Then we build a house out of gingerbread. See, there’s more magic with all the candies and snow icing.”

Uncle Harry knew about another kind of magic cookies but he didn’t think little Serena even knew about them so he just kept that to himself. He didn’t want to spoil her innocence about what ‘magic’ was.

“Well, Serena, that sounds like a good idea. We’ve been doing some pretty heavy thinking and talking, so sugar cookies and some cold milk sounds pretty good. I really don’t know about all grown-ups, but this grown-up doesn’t see much magic any more at all ~ until you and I have our little Christmas talks. Then I remember my own magic times when I was a boy. Helping your grandma bake sugar cookies and Christmas cake. Turning the lights on the Christmas tree at night to see the magical colours and sparkles. Thank you, Serena, for making your old uncle remember some of the real magic.” 

The only sound in the kitchen was the sound of munching cookies accompanied by someone softly whistling an old familiar Christmas carol.

“…we are better throughout the year for having, 

in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.”

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder