Today, our five-year-old granddaughter, Amaal, reminded me of something we often forget as adults. Life can be magical. If we allow it to be.
We spent the day at the National Palace in Sintra, Portugal, surrounded by winding roads, breathtaking scenery, and a palace fit for a princess. Naturally, Amaal arrived dressed as one.
At one point, a little boy dressed as a king bowed before her. You couldn’t have scripted a more perfect moment!
But the real adventure was a treasure hunt. Five clues. Five letters. One mystery to solve. Each clue invited Amaal to look a little closer at the world around her.
Find something a king or queen might sit on.
Look for something that has stood here for hundreds of years.
Find a place where a princess might look out over her kingdom.
With each discovery, she earned another letter. And when all five letters were collected, she had one final challenge: rearrange them to discover the secret word.
M A G I C.
At the end of our adventure, Amaal declared it “the best day ever!” And perhaps that’s what stayed with me most.
There were no extravagant gifts. Just imagination, curiosity, laughter, and the joy of being completely present.
For a few hours, we suspended time. We entered a five-year-old’s world, where palaces hold secrets, little boys bow to princesses, and anything is possible.
Somewhere along the way to adulthood, we become so busy managing life that we forget to marvel at it. We trade wonder for efficiency. Playfulness for productivity. Presence for plans.
Today, Amaal discovered five letters that spelled MAGIC. And I rediscovered something too. Magic doesn’t disappear when we grow older. Sometimes we just need a five-year-old to help us find it again.
When was the last time you allowed yourself to experience a little magic?
