A few months ago, my husband and I downsized. After 33 years, we moved from the house where we had raised our children to a condo.
On move-in day, my daughters came over with their children, our 7 grandkids. The kids were delighted to check out our new place. As you can imagine, they ran from room to room, giggling, chasing each other, opening and closing doors, looking in closets, etc. A new place to explore!
The next day, my daughter told me of a conversation she had with her 6-year-old. It went something like this:
“What did you think of Grammy and Grandpop’s new home?”
“I didn’t really like it.”
“What?! Why not?”
“There wasn’t really magic.”
It took my daughter awhile to figure out his “no magic” comment. That is until my granddaughter said, “I thought they were moving to a condo.”
My daughter, like me, understands they way children speak literally. Something in the way she said “I thought they were moving to a condo” made my daughter realize- she thought we were moving to ENCANTO!
If you’ve seen the movie, you understand that the house (or casita) in Encanto is truly magical. It moves items for family members and helps out when it can. The bedrooms are magical; one is a garden and another is a jungle filled with animals. Doors, windows and drawers can open by themselves. The floor tiles can move and flip. The house is practically a character itself.
So all those weeks when my granddaughter heard we were moving to a condo, she thought we were saying we were moving to Encanto and she was envisioning this colorful, magical place. It’s no wonder that when she entered and saw no jungles and gardens- no “magic,” she was so disappointed!
Well, my husband and I are comfortable and loving our simpler life in our condo on the lake. We will just have to make sure that when the grandkids visit we create some special magic for them!