I believe in Magic

  • April 16, 2025
My 13-year-old had his last baby tooth pulled at the dentist last week—literally hanging by a thread. I heard (from a very reliable source aka his dad) that he still put it under his pillow. And guess what? The Tooth Fairy came. Left him $20. He never said a word.
Yesterday, we went for a walk—I’m slow these days, so we had time to talk. I asked him why he didn’t tell me about the Tooth Fairy visit. He gave me that teen look and said, “Because you are the Tooth Fairy. I’ve known for years.” Lol.
So… we had the talk.
You might think 13 is too old for all that, but what he told me made me realize—I’ve messed up plenty as a parent, but this? This was a win.
I was 5 when I lost the magic. It was Easter morning. I was so excited—school had been buzzing about it all week. I woke up to nothing. No treats. No magic. I ran crying to my mom. She rolled out of bed, grabbed a bag of candy from above the fridge, handed it to me without a word, and went back to sleep. That was it. That was the end of a childhood that was already pretty short on joy.
When I had kids, I promised myself I’d break the cycle. I was only 19, but I read books, took parenting classes—anything to give them more than I had. Even when I struggled with mental health and addiction, I made sure holidays were magical.
Every. Single. Time.
Because believing in magic is childhood.
I told my son that yesterday. That for 31 years I’ve worked to keep the magic alive as long as possible. Because adulthood is long. I want them to be kids while they still can.
I told him it’s now his job to help me keep the magic alive for his little brother. He’s excited about that.
He admitted he hasn’t really believed for a while, but pretended to because he liked “the vibe.” And I told him—that feeling?
That excitement IS believing. That is the magic.
I still believe in it. Life is hard enough—we all need more magic.

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      About Michelle Budiwski

      Michelle Budiwski is a fierce advocate for social change, inclusive communities, and rural economic development. A political activist and mother of four, she brings over 25 years of hands-on business management and ownership experience, backed by an MBA in Human Resource Development and a post-graduate certificate in Adult Education.

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