As I've grown up, I've noticed small changes in my family and friends, but not in myself. I've always known that these changes are just part of growing up and becoming an adult, but I've never stopped to question why. That's changing right now. Why should our daily lives change just because of a socially constructed number that increases as our socially constructed idea of time passes? I mean, sure, adults typically have jobs and adult-y things to do, but why does that mean we can't enjoy "childish" activities, too?

Once I moved off to university, it seemed like everything changed. My best friend and I would still do our usual things together: play video games, go shopping, paint and carve pumpkins for Halloween and get excited about the winter holidays. However, something was different. The holidays, especially Christmas, didn't seem as satisfying or cheerful or magical. I thought it was just because I had grown up, but I've decided to challenge that idea. Since I've become an adult, my family members don't treat Christmas and other holidays the way they did when I was a kid. We don't put up the tree early. We don't watch Christmas specials on TV. We don't spend hours decorating the tree or wrapping gifts. While these things aren't what Christmas is really about, they're the most prominent aspects of the holidays and winter time that I remember from childhood.

Now that everyone is grown up, life seems to have lost its magic. Even though it may seem like it, I don't mean that in a depressing way. I just mean that no one really seems to spend time doing things that they used to love doing or getting excited about things they used to wait for all year. Sure, there are people who get excited about holidays and certain times of the year, and there are people who still enjoy some old hobbies occasionally, but nothing really feels the way it did as a child. It seems as if parents and other family members cater to the children around holidays. They make the magic for us. But why should it stop? Why should some randomly decided age mark the stopping point for this? Why can't we all generate the magic for one another? Just because we're adults, it shouldn't mean that we stop playing games we love or coloring in coloring books or getting excited about holidays and new seasons. Remember the excitement we all felt when we knew it was almost our birthdays or whatever holidays we celebrate or even when a new book or game we had waited forever for was coming out? Why can't we all create that feeling for each other? We may be adults, but that doesn't mean we have to let the magic of childhood die. While it may be hard to find that magic and sense of wonder in daily life, especially adult life, we should all try our best to create that happiness and magic for one another. Being an adult is hard enough as it is without magic, so the least we can do is try to create our own and share it with others.