What Happened to the Magic?

Anyone else struggling to accept that it’s already the Christmas season? Where did the last two months even go? Time moves so quickly now—unless you’re in a hard season and wishing it would hurry up. Either way, it sometimes feels impossible to make the most of the holidays the way we imagine. You think you have plenty of time and then suddenly it’s one week out and you’re scrambling. Is this just adulthood? YIKES. I miss being a kid, when summer vacation seemed endless and Christmastime felt purely magical. We didn’t need much to make it so; there was a sweet simplicity to it all.

I still feel that magic, but it doesn’t always stay front and center. Maybe it’s the noise of the world, the constant rush, or a media landscape that thrives on outrage. Or maybe it’s the marketing machine that convinces us our celebrations should resemble a magazine spread—and that we’re failing if they don’t. But when you think back to childhood, none of that mattered. What was it that made those moments magical?

For me, it was anticipation. We don’t leave much room for that anymore. We’re too busy just trying to make it through the day. Do you wake up looking forward to things, or already tired at the thought of them? Do you still look ahead with excitement—days, weeks, or months in advance? Do you look forward to Christmas, or are you simply trying to get through it?

I remember getting ready to visit Cedar Point for the first time as a kid. I was so excited I couldn’t fall asleep. I stayed awake until dawn, yet somehow still had the energy to run around the park all day. Many of us have similar memories of waiting for Santa—lying awake, imagining what might be under the tree. Most of us didn’t get everything we dreamed of, but that didn’t stop us from doing it all over again the next year. When was the last time you were kept awake by that kind of eager anticipation? Adulthood makes us harder to impress.

And that’s the problem with living in a world that pressures us to pack every holiday, every trip, every moment with more, more, more. You can’t sustain that pace and still enjoy things the way you want to. It leads to disappointment and a sense that we’re always falling short.

So over the past couple of years, I’ve given myself permission to take breaks—breaks from traditions, breaks from the pressure to recreate past magic, and space to let new moments happen naturally. I love tradition, but there’s no need to force it when your heart isn’t in it.

Before December arrives, I’m resolving to slow down, enjoy what’s right in front of me, let things unfold at their own pace, and release the expectations I’ve placed on myself. I want to make room for anticipation again—even for the unexpected. Because the truth is, magical moments usually aren’t scripted. They sneak up on us. They appear when we’re open, present, and willing to welcome them.

And when they show up, open the door and let ‘em in.

The mood is right
The spirit’s up
We’re here tonight
And that’s enough
Simply having a wonderful Christmastime

—Paul McCartney, Wonderful Christmastime