The Magic Disappears
Posted: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
by Richard Radtke
http://www.cottagebythelane.com
The seasons go by, spring, summer, winter, fall, one by one they move, until at last your childhood is lost among the shadows that make up the past. The first flower of spring no longer holds the beauty that it once did, as you rush by on your journey forward through time. But your small children still stop by the side of the road to see the magic growing and blooming there, because for them childhood lasts forever and a day, and yet you rush off, appointments to keep, and bills to pay.
Fall comes in, borne on magic winds that blow rustling, colored leaves to the ground. School starts again, the children board the bus and are gone for the day, evening approaches and the here is the child, home again, clutching papers, crinkled, and bent, each proudly bearing the magical star of learning, for the parents to see, but you have no time, you're tired you see, and tomorrow you rush off, appointments to keep, and bills to pay.
Winter arrives one day, a snow filled yard, snowballs and snowmen, and children at play. Thanksgiving comes and then its gone, the magical turkey wishbone pulled apart at the end of the day, The Christmas tree glows with its colored lights, and the children ohh and ahh in special delight, the presents and wrappings strewn over the floor, and then Christmas leaves the very next night. The children call you to come and play with one of the treasures they received that Christmas day, but again, its another day and you have appointments to keep, and bills to pay.
And the years slowly pass away, and the next day you find you have no appointments to keep and the bills are finally all paid. Time is no longer your master, the reverse is true, and now you can finally do all those things you have always wanted to do, take time with the flowers and work in the yard, but most of all play with the children, and to you the greatest gift has come, the rekindling of the magic deep in your soul, lost so many years ago. The first flower of spring, and the zoo in the sky, the magic of learning, and the Christmas tree, in all of these things, you find delight. But the children are grown and gone away, they are all to busy and cannot play, for each of them have appointments to keep and bills to pay, and you stand there alone and cry, for each of them, and pray that the magic will come back to them someday.
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Top-level comments on this article: (9 total)Hi Richard.Exactly right! I wish there were some way to never lose the magic to begin with.Very beautifully written.Dianne
What a beautifully written article Richard! Thank you for sharing it with us. Welcome to SearchWarp and I am looking forward reading more of your articles.Regards,Terence
Welcome to SearchWarp. Your article is touching and conveys the the true feelings of growing old.
Look to the future, learn from the past but live for the moment. Yours is a nice piece but I found it rather sad. Perhaps that was the intention. If so well done.For me that was the intent, but the point of a story to stir an emotion in the reader, what one only the reader can say.
Beautifully written but very sad. Sad because in many ways it's true. But that's life, there is work to do and there are bills to pay. But it doesn't mean you can't still appreciate the little things in life. Things like, the first flowers of spring, a sunset, the smile on someone's face. I'm looking forward to reading more from you Richard.
Very well written reflecting the human psyche still caught up in ego.
Life is suffering. Everything is subject to constant change and flux with no security. There is no substantial soul or self behind anything.
Freedom from sadness is understanding and accepting these truths. (Basic Buddhist teachings).
Best.....e
Reminds me of the reflections in the song, cats in the cradle - some things to ponder. I enjoyed your word pictures very much. Only think I found was wanting to have it in more of a poetic format (but I write lots of poetry so who knows?)Thanks for sharing this piece that we could all reflect upon and probably need to.
Parts of your article have a poetic cadence. Lovely.
The magic disappeared for me the year I graduated from high school and realized that I would never have another carefree summer. But life goes on ...
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