French la Vie

When a child invites you into their imaginary world, it’s a gift of trust, joy, and wonder. And sometimes, it comes with glitter, bold colors, and a little bit of magic you carry with you long after the paint fades.

Claire Sparkle asked me if I wanted to be a unicorn. I nodded my head yes and jumped to the chance, I didn’t even take off my coat, or scarf- she took her little palette of makeup- a Christmas gift from her godfather, Sacha—and began dabbing colors here and there, everywhere, all the while smiling at me and saying, “You’re a pretty unicorn, Vavie.”

These weren’t muted colors—they were the kind you’d paint on a circus clown: bright, bold, and going straight into every pore and wrinkle (especially at my age).

I forgot all about taking my makeup off after playing. Later when I went home, my husband and a friend stared at me in surprise, «What happened to you?” I just smiled and said, “I’m a unicorn.”

Side note: I questioned whether I would put this photo on my blog, but then I wanna keep it real and this is real.