It takes a lot of time, effort, persistence and preparation.
It takes just the right mix of tools and ingredients.
It also takes a ton of elbow grease, the appearance of no effort at all, and, in the end, timing is everything.
I know.
I made magic this Christmas/Yule season for my little boy. In the lack of available 'magic' to be had, I made my own. My son will never know how much sleep I lost (months worth!), how much my fingers hurt (still - ow), how my muscles ache (ow, ow) and how easily I could nap for a week (at least)...
All the effort brought to mind urban fantasy characters of all kinds, tapping into magic, creating magic and transforming the world around them and then I realized: no matter what kind of person, hero or creature you are, you can make magic.
Even the most mundane of us can work magic. IF we try hard.
It's completely doable. It just doesn't come free.
Because it isn't easy. Not even the 'gifted' get off doing magic for no price. As with most things worth doing, magic is 90% (or more) hard work. And we all need some down time, some recovery time, some patch-us-back-together time as a result.
But it's worth it.
In the end, all the effort, the hard work, the battles and sweat and aching fingers.. yes, even my mundane 'efforts-by-human' look and feel like REAL magic, to my son but also, surprisingly, to me.
And I'm not done yet. I don't think I'll ever be done because you know what? I plan on making this magic stuff for a long time to come.
I just need a little nap* before the next round... and maybe some IcyHot...
Happy New Year everyone.
May there be much magic for us ALL in 2011.
* I wonder how long Santa naps to recover from his magical urban invasion/visitation? Maybe a good supply of cookies helps. ;)
