Spells

I don’t want to tell you what inspired this idea. 

I probably shouldn’t tell you. In fact, if I did tell you, I’d have to turn you into a toad so you’d keep it quiet. And not a cute toad, either. A lumpy, fat, squat toad with bulging eyes and bland shades of spotty taupe skin. That’s right, taupe. Ew. It’s not even a colour. 

(Note: I happen to like toads, but we’re running a witchcraft theme here, so toads it is).

Truthfully, it wasn’t just one thing that prompted this thought process; it was more like the frustration of seeing good people deal with horrible people perpetrating cowardly acts of aggression without consequences. Bullies. And equally as bad, those who support them. 

I want to trust that eventually people get what’s coming to them, yet it’s disheartening to see that for all our big talk about mental health and kindness, inclusivity and community, we continue to witness the harm people cause one another because of a power trip, an imaginary hierarchy of self-importance, at school, work, local elections, you name it. Gross.

How hard is it not to be a jerk? 

Honestly? 

This whole casting a spell idea was influenced by watching the Halloween classic movie Practical Magic, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. It’s an annual tradition for my daughter and I to watch this film in October. This year, we paid a ridiculous amount of money to go see Practical Magic 2 in the theatre (spoiler alert: the sequel is lame). 

It sparked some discussion about the lack of kindness we’ve experienced lately, the mean people we’ve faced and continue to face. I raised my daughter to respect people and be kind. Big mistake. I should have armed her with insults and a cruel streak, but it’s too late to reverse that now.

So instead, we arm ourselves with jokes about imaginary spells we’d cast to temporarily right the wrongs. It’s a delicate balance to ensure we are not seduced to stir the cauldron of toxicity. There are enough people in the world happy to dip their spoons in there. Eye of newt, and all that. I’m toxic-intolerant, so I’ll pass.

I won’t speak the spells aloud that we discussed during the car ride home, but I thoroughly enjoyed the laughter that ensued when our collective imaginations stirred up our own version of practical magic. Harmless imagination.

And if the mean girl who messed with my daughter the previous day spontaneously develops a rat’s tail in front of her peers, well, don’t look at us. In fact, look away. Quickly.

Right or wrong, I taught my daughter that the real practical magic in life is the spell of kindness. Cast that spell on everyone you meet. 

Don’t do it to be self-righteous or to elevate your social status. Kindness isn’t a slogan. It’s not a promise you won’t keep. It’s a conscious act. Ethics. Integrity. The ripple effect is magic, even if what you put out isn’t always what you receive directly. All things come around in time. 

Never underestimate the power of a spell of genuine kindness. Trust the magic. Or stir the cauldron. You do you. 

Just know, I’ll cast kindness your way – or turn you into a toad. 

Your call.