Do you believe in magic?
The kind that conjures colorful blooms from bulbs buried in the cold ground?
Or, poof! delivers a snow day right to your front door?
Do you believe in magic?
The kind that transforms a power outage into a candlelight dinner and cozy evening by the fire?
Or hides you in the branches of evergreens, rows of would-be Christmas trees suddenly a fantasy forest?
Do you believe in magic?
The kind that grants you a birthday buddy, 89 years your senior, and lets you snuggle her on Thanksgiving?
Or sends you flying down a sledding hill on a wintry magic carpet ride?
Do you believe in magic?
The kind that doesn’t rely on spells, wands, or sleight of hand?
The kind that harnesses imaginations, makes miracles out of the mundane, shines a light on the sacredness of ordinary things?
Call it coincidence, silver linings.
Call it the hand of God.
See it, and believe–in this oldest kind of magic.
Simple, ordinary magic.

I wrote this blog post in response to the prompt #ordinarymagic — an invitation to find the sparkle in our typical days using photos and words. For more ordinary magic, check out the writing of Erin Strybis, Jessica Folkema, and Kim Knowle-Zeller.