Do You Believe in Magic?

Perhaps, the better question is do you believe in yourself?

“The magic can’t leave you when it is you.” — Author Unknown.

I recently saw this quote on Instagram and immediately shared it on my story. The quote resonated with me for a few reasons, but it also resonated with many friends — some were moms, all were women — and led to deeper conversations between us. Through a smattering of DMs, I realized that so many of us are worried about finding our magic, losing it, or needing to be reminded that we are the magic.

And so, a substack idea was born. Because I think we could all use some magic these days, right?

When I first saw the quote, I immediately DM’d it to a friend who has been reeling from a painful breakup. Without going into their personal details, it didn’t work out the way she planned. And while she knows it’s for the best, she still struggles with missing the good times — the magic she felt.

So, I sent her the quote with a note that said, “Think hard about what made those moments feel magical. I think you’ll find that it was all YOU.” She’s a caregiver. She’s thoughtful. She’s a planner. She’s a hell of a lot of fun to be around. She brings a TON to the table. He just pulled up a chair. She made him feel special, loved, and well taken care of; he made her feel anxious and sad, at least in the end.

Of course, I wasn’t behind closed doors with them, but I saw enough of their relationship to confidently say she brought the magic. So, with this quote, I reminded her that the relationship ended, but she gets to keep her magic. It’s her superpower. She’ll use it on another person again when the time is right, but for now, she needs to turn that magic on herself.

Another friend who reacted to the quote struggles with part two of motherhood: big kids. She threw her heart and soul into the years when her kids were young. She created a whole lot of magic for them, filled with excursions, play dates, and mommy-and-me classes. It was a role she felt born to do. These days, she feels a lack of purpose now that her kids are growing older, in school all day, and spending more time with friends. So where does all her magic go?

It remains.

Mommy magic doesn’t dwindle as kids get bigger. It gets poured into new traditions and ways of having fun together, maybe minus the glittery reindeer food or powdery bunny prints across the floor. And I know this mom will find new ways to fill her days, making magic for others because that is her gift. Not knowing your next move can be scary and overwhelming, but there’s also magic — and beauty — in being able to reimagine your next act.

That brings me to me and my takeaway from this quote.

The first half of my career was a surreal experience. It wasn’t your typical entry- or junior-level job. Working in beauty for magazines was much like it’s portrayed in the movies (only I worked for some wonderful, kind people). It was hard work and long hours, but I loved it. I spent parts of my days at fabulous events, trying luxurious beauty treatments, and jet-setting to press trips and photo shoots. When I left my magazine job to stay home with my first baby, I wrote in a freelance article that I felt like Cinderella after she left the ball. Blah.

I traded my heels and dresses for sneakers and workout clothes, even on days I didn’t work out. I rarely wore makeup, and there were plenty of days I never left the house. I eventually found my groove as I delved deeper into the mother hood. I tried to get dressed daily, even if my only destination was the bus stop. I loved being a mommy, but still, at times, I longed for my old career. Or maybe the old “me.”

It wasn’t all about the glamour. I mostly missed collaborating. I missed creating. I missed working with brilliant, creative minds. I got small hits of these things through freelance work, but as the industry changed, I often had to take work I didn’t feel very inspired to write. They were a means to an end: pay the bills.

Then, in 2021, smack in the middle of the pandemic, I decided it was time to reimagine my career. I started a Long Island beauty website and Instagram page that’s been growing steadily. I feel like a beauty editor again, going to Long Island events, creating, trying treatments, and even serving as an expert for local newspapers and TV. I’m swimming in a much smaller pond, but I find it just as, if not more, fulfilling than my old jobs because it’s something I’ve created.

So, when I saw that magic quote, it made me reflect on those years when I felt like the magic was gone. But I realize now that it never left me. It may have been a little sleepy, at times uninspired. But the magic was always there, waiting to be woken up and poured into something new.