When I was five,My mother told me to hang my socks on the window every Christmas eve, she told me that Santa would come at night after everyone was asleep and put presents in the socks. She used to leave the window ajar for him and tell me not to stay awake, as Santa likes to give presents secretly.
I was curious and somehow wanted to catch a glimpse of the kind old man with round glasses and red suit, I wanted to see him tiptoe inside my room in his black boots. I really wanted to know how would he enter through the window of our sixth floor apartment without making any noise, how he did it every year without waking anyone.
So I decided to stay awake that night. After my mom had put off the lights,my eyes were wide open in anticipation. I kept staring out of the window gazing at the stars which were shining bright and the cable wires from which the last of the birds had flown away. I waited, but there was no sign.
I didn’t even realize at what time I fell asleep, but when I woke up there were presents in my socks.
Well, where the presents came from remained a mystery for a few more years, I eventually realised that it was my mom and not Santa. I was a little disappointed that Santa Claus, that sort of magic, didn’t exist.
But as I’ve grown older my belief in magic has been reaffirmed. Stronger than ever, because now I know that magic exists, maybe in a form that is different than the one we know of. Maybe it isn’t an old man but my mom. Maybe it isn’t wands and broomsticks but love and kindness. Maybe it’s not angels and fairies but you and me ,so don’t stop believing in magic, even if you’re no longer a child, even if magic seems like an impossible thing to exist in this world, because maybe it’s right in front of you , maybe you just don’t know what it looks like.
Radhika Agarwal 