There are times in life when a little magic is necessary.
Kelly Victoria was walking in her Los Angeles, California neighborhood when she spotted a cute little fairy garden nestled into the base of a tree. A small sign told passersby that the garden belongs to Eliana, a child who lives nearby.
Kelly’s heart was heavy as she walked that night. She was going through some personal problems, and it was the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic so everything felt scary and uncertain. Seeing the adorable fairy garden instantly lifted her spirits. When she read the note and saw that Eliana, age 4, was feeling sad and lonely in quarantine, Kelly decided on the spot to spread some cheer.
She wrote a little note for Eliana and placed it by the garden. She claimed to be a fairy named Sapphire who came to live in the tree because Eliana made it so pretty. She left the girl a small present, some dice she’d crafted herself, and asked the child to do some acts of kindness around the house.
“I wasn’t sure if she’d respond or even find the note but it was fun just imagining what she’d think,” Kelly wrote on Twitter. “The next night on my walk I found this and immediately burst into tears.”
Eliana had written back! She did all of the nice things Sapphire asked her to do and even included some drawings. Kelly decided to leave a note for Eliana’s parents to let them know what was going on. The next day, they left her a letter telling her how much they appreciate what she’s doing for Eliana.
“You have been a much-needed bright spot in our quarantine season indeed,” they wrote.
“Doing this every night gave me purpose in a horribly painful and lonely time,” Kelly explained. “I looked forward to my days again and I started ordering art supplies and little trinkets to leave her. We wrote back and forth throughout the last 9 months, helping each other feel less lonely and I got to chat with her mom via text to make sure my gifts were a little more personal.”
When Eliana asked for a picture, Kelly donned elf ears and Photoshopped herself to look like a tiny fairy!
After 9 months of daily correspondence, Kelly was sad to learn that Eliana and her family were moving away. The little girl was having a very tough time accepting the move, but Sapphire was there to tell her that moving isn’t so bad and could even lead to better things in the future. Eliana’s mom said the notes helped so much!
Just before the moving trucks arrived, they decided it was time for Sapphire to magically grow human-sized so they could finally meet in person.
“I left one last note this morning saying I had to move out today and made up a little story that when fairies move houses, they grow to the size of a human just for one day to move all of their belongings. I said I had one more gift for her and would leave it this afternoon and hoped she wouldn’t catch me.”
Kelly prepped for their meeting by getting a (negative) COVID test, and Eliana’s parents did as well. Once everyone was safe, Sapphire was ready to be “caught in the act!”
“We got to sit and talk for about an hour and she asked me a million questions about what life is like as a fairy, some I had prepared and others I hadn’t. It was incredible and one of the most important and impactful afternoons of my life thus far.”
“I hope one day when she’s older she can understand that I truly needed her as much as she needed me these past few months,” said Kelly.
The two plan to keep in touch with letters after Eliana moves away. Kelly says the experience changed her forever, and Eliana’s mom says her daughter has gained self confidence and creativity as a result of meeting Sapphire.
People need each other now more than ever! Just look at how one spontaneous act of kindness changed both of their lives forever. What a magical experience for them both.
Share this story to spread that magic a little further.
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