The Magic of a Plastic Sword

Do you remember the last toy where you found magic? I don’t remember my last one, but I do remember a little wind-up plastic train that would go around and around a little track. I loved that train.

Yesterday, I was walking through the store with my nine-year-old son, and he saw a plastic shield and sword he just had to have. My first response was no. It’s plastic, cheap, it will break, and it’s like eight dollars for a plastic sword! This was a no for sure.

But then, I thought, “How long will it be before my son doesn’t see magic in this toy?” Yesterday, he didn’t see a cheap plastic sword and shield; he saw a knight’s sword and a Captain America shield. He saw the opportunity to be a hero. I couldn’t let him miss that.

So today, he’s a knight, carrying the sword around and fighting bad guys. I don’t know how many more days he will have with this kind of magic, but I want to savor it while I can. This kind of childhood play is something special.

But why am I writing about this? What’s the point? I find myself wanting to recapture that magic, that wonder. I want to look to the horizon with the same awe my son has for that plastic sword. I want to start my morning with that same sense of adventure. I’ll never get back to the full magic of a plastic sword like my son can, but there are glimmers of it, moments when I can remember the wonder of childhood and the vastness of unlimited potential.

I hope this helped you see a glimmer of the magic as well. The magic is still there, we just have to look for it.

Originally posted on my blog at adamjwalker.com.