Friday, August 9, 2013

Wind and Drum Magic

    The last few weeks have been hard. I have been through the emotional ringer and I know that I have not been at my best for my family. I have written a blog about losing a dear friend, but it is to soon and way to raw to share yet.

    Yesterday my youngest son was having a horrible day. I knew that it was partly my fault because of my own mood, but just couldn't seem to make it better. His mood went from bad to worse and I was at a loss on knowing what he needed. I actually found myself wishing he would just get caught up in his video games and let me breathe. However, even that was not soothing for him. I was at my wits end and I looked over at him and noticed he was pale and he just looked tired and small. I walked outside to think and noticed a storm was moving in. The wind was blowing and I was suddenly hit with an idea. I ran in and grab the bongo set and told John to come outside with me. I told him that I noticed he was having a rough day and we were going to do some wind/drum magic. I told him to drum all of his frustration into the bongos. I said he could drum however he wanted, there was no right or wrong way to do it...to just find his rhythm and play. I told him that the drums would take his frustration and the wind would carry it away. He looked at me with tons of skepticism,  but he began to play. At first he was loud and all over the place, but as he played his pace calmed and so did he. When he had finished, I gave him a moment to just be. I then told him to imagine all the things he wants in life, and the things he wants to happen. I asked him to picture his life the way he wanted it to be and hold that image while he was drumming. I told him the drums would send his dreams to the heavens so that they would manifest. He began to drum, and you could see that he was putting every fiber of his being into it. He played for a while and stopped, and looked at me for more direction. I then recognized that  at the core of everything he was feeling very sad. An emotion that has been with him since losing his grandfather. I told him to release all his sadness into the drums. To let the wind carry it and the rain wash it away. John began to drum, as he drummed he seemed to grow. It was as if you could see layers of sorrow being pulled from him. When he stopped he had a soft look on his face and he said something that I will never forget. He said "Mom, I just realized that there really is magic. It is real...just not in the way I expected." For a moment I was at a loss for words. Part of me wishes I had taken a picture to forever capture the look of peace on his face. However, the moment was to powerful to break by picking up the phone. So instead the picture of that moment will have to stay in my heart.
     Yes, magic does exists and not always in the way we expect. For it exists in all things, from the smallest brook to the vast ocean. It exists in the wind, the rain, the moon, the stars. It exists in nature, the laughter of friends, the stories we tell,  the things we believe. It exists in our children and their laughter and teachings.
Magic can exist in the beat of a drum.
My hope for my kids is that no matter what is thrown their way, they always feel the power of their own magic. I hope that they live in magic, that they always sparkle and shine owning and feeling it. I hope that they never lose the magic of love and wonder.
   Thank you John for being my teacher that day.....and for trusting your crazy hippy mom enough to pick up the drums and try ;)