Listen
As a young adult, Krisztina moved to Mexico to attend university. There, she met the man who would become her husband. They have three children. Each is in school now and Krisz has more time to write. It’s something she enjoys and she’s taken several English writing classes to help along the way. That’s how she heard about “This I Believe”. She was given an assignment to write an essay about something she believes in and this work is a result of that effort.
Here’s Krisztina Fehevari’s essay for Houston Public Radio’s This I Believe.
———————-
“My daughter Sofia hands me a note that says….”Do you believe in fairies?” Well, I’m a realistic adult. I have things to do, no time to waste.
Still, I’m envious of my daughter. Sofia always seems so happy.
It took me several years to figure out her secret. Though she seems to be here, she’s usually somewhere else. She has a simple tool to make it happen: It’s her imagination.
You never know what kind of creatures she’s dealing with. She might be saving the life of the queen fairy or babysitting the one-eyed, pink dotted monster’s 38 newborn babies.
The other day I caught her playing with a napkin while setting the table. The white paper napkin became a little bird with broken wings that needed Sofia’s helping hands. By accident, it landed on our cold kitchen floor. Sofia carefully picked it up and lifted it high, up to the table placing it next to her plate where she could keep a close eye on it.
When I see this, I feel I want to be a child again and to be able to enter this wonderful world of imagination where nothing is impossible. But how can I do it when I’m constantly interrupted by the demands, complaints and comments of my three children? “Mommy, I’m hungry!” “Mommy, sis’ is not sharing!” “Mommy, I found a ladybug!”
Suddenly, in front of my magic eyes, my children become tiny, phenomenal creatures, crying for help. I have to shelter them at all times with my big, protective wings. I’m part of their world, a superhero with superpowers. I repair ripped paper dolls and heal injuries as well as broken hearts. I am their hero.
We shouldn’t let our imagination die. We need it more than ever, as adults, in our daily life. Let’s bring joy into our life, invite friendly monsters, gracious fairies or fearless dragons to our day.
Therefore, when my nine year old asks if I believe in fairies, my answer is: “I certainly do.
I believe in fairies and I believe that daydreaming is an important part of our life. It helps us through difficult moments. It means staying in touch with our inner self, our hidden dreams and goals. I believe it makes us come alive.