ordinary magic

I first discovered ordinary magic when Sebi was a few weeks old. The early fog weeks of postpartum are all sorts of emotions/adjectives/hormones, and they are also filled with a presence and heart opening that I’d never felt before. Lying on the floor next to my newborn, watching him take in the world with eyes that have never seen all of these (still blurry to him) wonders, I saw the spring light filter in through the vertical slats of the blinds. Golden diamonds danced through shadows of branches and sprouting buds, creating a mesmerizing kaleidoscope, right here, in our own house. We watched this dance to the soundtrack of baby birds calling for their mamas until the sun lifted enough to indicate that day was here. It is a memory that is etched into my cells, a memory of simplicity and enchantment, my first conscious naming of ordinary magic.

Its own gratitude practice, I take moments in my days to find this ordinary magic. When open to it, I find that it’s all around us. Lately it’s been watching worms come out in the rain, the smell of the jasmine blooming in LA amidst the concrete, the hoots of an owl in the distance when the only beings up are her and I. I sit outside, lift my steaming coffee mug to wish her a good morning and thank her for her greeting.

I used to only see the ordinary magic through Sebi’s eyes. As my greatest teacher, he has taught me to find it for myself, and in turn, to share my observations of awe back to him. Ordinary magic has been my way of realising that I have more than enough. That beauty is all around us. To remove the veils, filters, and complications that cover our eyes and brains as we live life, even if for a short moment. In other words, to be present and see, without judgment, what is truly around us, in its glorious abundance.

I type this as I listen to the sweet sounds of Sebi and Barney snoring lightly next to each other. Snuggled close together even though they’re in a bed that has more than enough room for them to take up space. I feel a warmth in my heart and my eyes are welling up (me? Emotional? Shocker.). Locking this in as its own moment of ordinary magic.