Grateful for Fairies

It's rare for me to be moved to tears while alone, simply by communing with nature. But it happened to me recently in Ireland. While walking the grounds of the hotel, I came upon The Fairy Trail. I was instantly transported to the many years of mothering fairy-loving children. The miniature houses made of sticks, the beds of leaves, and the crowns of flowers...I loved it all. As I prepare for my oldest daughter to leave for college, I felt my heart filling with pride for the young woman she has grown into. I also remembered, with a distinct ache in my chest, that toddler steeped in magical thinking...with fairies being a family favorite. I wandered the Fairy Trail and felt both emotions pulsing through my chest, and then the tears started. They really were mostly tears of joy. I felt my whole body surge with gratitude and love, for my children, my husband, myself as a mother - and yes, for my body. I felt so grateful to be there in that moment and to experience a somatic sense of wonder and awe, the way the girls did when they were little. My hope for my daughter is that she will always carry with her some magical thinking, as well as a loving and trusting connection to her own body, and to stay open to awe and wonder as she moves into adulthood.