A story about childhood hope, heartbreak, and the magic we carry into our adult lives.
This morning, my 15-year-old Giovanni asked for a quick grocery run for breakfast and this weekend’s snacks. On the way out, we passed two little boys, one grinning proudly with his backpack, the other dancing his way down the sidewalk. When I asked what had them so excited, the older one said, “It’s the Halloween carnival tonight!”
I smiled and gestured to Giovanni, reminding him that once upon a time he and his brother were just as thrilled about the same carnival. Then I added: “You know today’s the ten-year anniversary of your kindergarten carnival?”
This interaction with Giovanni inspired me to come home and revisit one of my favorite blogs and family stories. Enjoy, fellow travelers.
2015: The Unicorn with the Beautiful Eyes
One afternoon, Giovanni came home with shining eyes. “Mami, I need a quarter. So I can win the unicorn with the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.”
He earned his daily quarters with chores—watering plants, refilling our dog Nala’s water bowl, unloading the dishwasher—and carefully tucked each one away in a special baggie in his backpack. Every night, he grew more certain: “I’m going to win. Because I love it.”
On carnival day, his final ticket went in the jar. His hopes soared. And then—over a school-wide announcement—his heart sank. Someone else had won. Thankfully, Mrs. Robertson, his beloved kindergarten teacher, was there to soften the blow and hold his broken heart—along with a few others—in that moment.
That evening, Giovanni cried in my bed. “I loved it, Mami. It’s so sad the unicorn didn’t come home with us.” I joined him in sadness and a few tears. Together, we sent a wish of hope that the new owner would love it just as much and that the unicorn would find happiness in another home.
By Christmas, the beautiful-eyed unicorn wasn’t mentioned anymore. Giovanni asked Santa for a red scooter. And on Christmas morning—under the tree—was a scooter… and an identical twin to the unicorn with the most beautiful eyes Giovanni had ever seen.
2022: Santa’s Surprise
Unbeknownst to Giovanni, Santa had made a special lunchtime stop at his school. Maybe he saw Giovanni stroke the unicorn’s mane and whisper, “I love you.” Maybe he whispered back: “I see your heart, little one. I’ve got a plan.”
Giovanni named his unicorn Ronan Magic. For a long time, Ronan went everywhere with us. These days he mostly stays upstairs, except at Christmas when he sits in a place of honor by the tree. His eyes are still beautiful—but not nearly as beautiful as the kindergartener’s eyes that once looked at him with pure wonder.
2025: Ronan Magic Today
Ronan currently lives in our family room. He’s been downstairs for years, a quiet reminder of what truly matters, long after today’s details fade.
Giovanni, now a teenager, no longer believes in Santa, or in raffles that reward the one who loves the most or works the hardest. His days are filled with friends, video games, and exasperated sighs at my parenting that interferes with his plans. But sometimes, I still catch those kindergarten eyes—when he belly-laughs or lights up with joy. Or when he gives the same unconditional love to Maui and Einstein that he once gave to Nala who left us several years ago.
I told him today that I’ve made mistakes as his mom and I will own them, but I’m proud of how I handled the raffle. He had space to grieve—and he also had space to believe in magic a little longer.
Reflection: Hope That Outlasts Disappointment
As I bring this blog to a close, Ronan looks at me from across the room, watching me with his beautiful eyes that still make my heart smile almost 10 years later. He reminds me that love and hope outlast disappointment—and that sometimes, the smallest treasures carry the biggest lessons.
May we all hold onto our kindergarten selves—the parts that feel deeply, love openly and wholeheartedly, and still see the world with awe—and keep a little bit of our magic nearby.
Ubuntu, fellow travelers.
— Jennifer
P.S. As mentioned above, this version is edited. If you liked this story and want to read the longer version, check out Magical Eyes.
For Giovanni & Ronan Magic
Ronan’s story was originally published as “The Most Beautiful Eyes I’ve Ever Seen,” a blog written for the Rawson Saunders School community and published in the community newsletter. The blog is the intellectual property of the school and is available on the Counselor’s Corner website. “Magical Eyes” was the revised version of Ronan and Giovanni’s story that was reinvented to be a Stillness Story for Still River Counseling, PLLC, and published in December 2022.
