Whaddaya know? There's a new amateur magician/tarot card reader in town. Or at least my kids seem to think so. Right now, my son is intrigued by magic, and my daughter is interested in finding out who she's going to become in the future. I want to nurture their individual curiosities alongside my own, so I thought I'd start learning magic tricks with him and reading tarot cards with her. I think it's important for everyone to have something they're just beginning, and I like the idea of learning new things with my kids. Especially something a little more offbeat than, say, Minecraft and rainbow loom.
Here's the thing: I want my kids to be good at stuff, but I also want them to delight in making mistakes. I want them to stay open to curiosity and wonder and to realize that despite whatever knowledge they may acquire along their individual paths, they are always going to be students of life. I try my best to model that for them, whether it be the 2.5 years I spent in school while simultaneously raising them, perusing the pages of the stack of books I'm trying to get through at any given time, or immersing myself in whatever new skill I'm trying to learn that week.
My hope is that are able to derive joy from the fledgling, awkward beginnings of things. To lean into the discomfort of it all. To become lifelong apprentices of anything and everything. Giving them a safe landing space and unfettered permission to make mistakes is one of the best gifts I can give to them. A place where they are allowed to constantly, unapologetically become. I know that I'm in a perpetual state of becoming, and it's important to me that they see this. I hope they always remember my playful and eccentric side. The part of me that will always be a curious lifelong learner. I hope this inspires them to carve their own paths and try new things too.
Of course, it's difficult to hold their attention when the world is moving so fast and rewiring their brains at every turn. There are so many trivial things to become bogged down by. Motherhood in my world is whimsical and soulful at best; monotonous and guilt-ridden at worst. There's so much I would take out of it if I could - both for me and for them. I hate pushing them from task to task, milestone to milestone, and achievement to achievement. I want them to be in the moment with no measuring stick in sight. All the forced routines we impose upon their developing brains can really take the magic out of it at times.
If I had it my way, I'd want them to fully embrace the whimsy of childhood. To engross themselves in play. To feel safe being their authentic selves. To fully tap into their imaginations. I want them to know they're worthy even when they can't do things well. That they're brave just to try. I want them to witness themselves being the magicians and mystics in their own lives. And mostly, I want them to become acquainted with the freedom and expansiveness of the child mind. To me, this will always be the most beautiful and hopeful thing of all.