Small magical moments occur every day of our lives. Big moments are ones we remember often, for the rest of our lives. The birth of a child, getting married, buying your first house, falling in love…well you get the idea.

Small magic moments happen at any time, sometimes several times daily. We experience an aha moment and then go back to our day. Maybe we remember them and well, maybe not. No matter what, those moments are stored in our memory bank and help us to grow and become more.

Magic is part of travel. Travel is magic. And so it was on the Amazon trip. There were two moments that will move ahead with me, hopefully for the rest of my life.

People on the Amazon River live above the water. The houses are often built on stilts and stairs go down to the river. There are no cars. Everyone owns a boat. We visited a village later in the trip, by boat. There was a store and private homes. It was a last-minute decision to take our group in the tenders to visit the village. We were given fifteen minutes to get ready and climb aboard the tenders.

After collecting my camera I came down to the tenders and two full tenders were already gone. No one else was planning to go except for me. Moments like these don’t always bring out the best in me. My inner child surfaced and I felt forgotten and left out. Oh, the poor young girl. Two of the guides offered to take me in the third boat. At first, I refused but they insisted.

And then the magic happened. The guides were kind. Knowing that I loved birds, they took me off the beaten path to see birds. We explored the village by boat our way. As the other two boats were having their experience, I was having my own experience.

As we drifted downriver past the homes, a Festive Parrot landed on my tender. Wait, what? I had been trying to photograph these parrots for most of the trip without success. Well wasn’t this a special moment? And then, a second parrot landed. They rode with us (the guides and me) for quite some time. One walked towards the front of the tender where I was sitting. It was a very personal moment and a special moment. Finally, they lifted off. They flew a wide circle right over my head. Then they headed back towards the village. Breathtaking.

It is not unusual for these villages to have tame or semi-tame wild birds. We saw one family that had a tame Toucan. I am sure these parrots were semi-tame. This didn’t matter.

This moment in time was special for me. If I had been on the other tenders would this have happened? Maybe. Or was it because there were only three of us on the tender that the parrots felt more comfortable landing. Maybe. I shared a very personal moment with two little parrots. I was accompanied by two kind and wonderful guides. I felt special and happy and glad in my soul.

Late one afternoon as most of us were resting or socializing on the deck something changed with the boat. I told Mary that I was going out to see what the crew was doing. I went up to the bridge to see what the crew was seeing. The ship was facing the side of the river and there in front of me were two Scarlet Macaws. Yes, they were wild and amazingly beautiful. I ran back to the room to let my roommate know to grab her camera and run.

When I returned the birds took flight. As they flew off one of them dropped a feather. The crew was quickly on it and took out a tender to try to find the feather. The feather was found. It was obvious that this feather was no longer needed. The colors were still there. The captain presented it to me, as a gift. It was such a kind gesture and one that touched me. It was definitely a small and wonderful magical moment. And…yes I did safely transport it back to the United States. It now rides above the driver’s seat in EmmyLou, my RV. Each time I look up it reminds me of a magical twelve days in Brazil.

I like to be treated special. I like to feel and experience magic in my life. It makes the ordinary feel extraordinary. Small magic moments brighten my world as I am sure they brighten yours. The important thing is to take the time to notice these magical moments in life.

What are your small magic moments?

Today I am thankful for the magic in my life. Today I am thankful for the magic in your life. Today I am thankful for magic.