A Magician Never Shares His Secrets
March 19th, 2025
Photo: Chloe
Writer: Emma Weiss
Editor: Emily Pawlak
One night while visiting my grandparents in Florida, my family went to dinner at Kee Grill—our usual spot. As we stood in line, a girl about my age at the time—around eight—approached my grandpa with a determined look.
“I know how you did the toothpick trick,” she announced. I was shocked. I had no idea my grandpa performed his magic tricks for other people. She eagerly explained the trick to him.
My grandpa smiled. “Good guess, but not quite,” he said.
“Can you do it again? Please!” she begged, eyes wide with excitement. My grandpa nodded, and as he performed the trick once more, I watched as he made her smile ear to ear.
For as long as I can remember, my grandpa wasn’t just my grandpa—he was a magician. When I was little, he would do silly card tricks for his four grandchildren, always leaving us in awe. As I got older, his audience expanded. He started performing for his friends and anyone who visited his home. His passion for magic kept growing, and soon, he was doing tricks for friends, waiters, golf caddies, Uber drivers—anyone who had a moment to watch.
Over the years, his repertoire grew. What started as simple card tricks evolved into a toothpick trick, a paper trick, a dollar bill trick, and so many more. For his birthday, every year, my grandma hired a professional magician to give him lessons. He recorded the sessions, studied the tricks in his free time, and kept a small notebook where he wrote everything to remember them months later. As he got better, he began performing in public. He entertained his friends at the annual men’s golf luncheon and volunteered at a hospital in Jupiter, performing magic for patients.
But, selfishly, my favorite moments were when he did magic for me. I was lucky enough to be his M.I.T.—Magician in Training. I got to learn all of his newest tricks, and when I earned his stamp of approval, I would perform the same tricks for friends and family. Magic was my grandpa’s way of spreading joy to the world, and for me, it was the thing that brought us closer together.
Although my grandpa spent hours practicing his tricks, it was never about showing off his skills. He simply wanted to make people happy and create moments of wonder.
“A magician never shares his secrets!” he would always remind me—his kind way of telling me not to spoil the magic. My grandpa was one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I have ever known. His ability and desire to bring joy to others was what I admired most about him.
As a child, I loved being an M.I.T. (Magician in Training). But, if I’m being honest, as I grew older, my desire to continue practicing my grandpa’s magic tricks faded. As I started reflecting on my grandpa's life, what stood out to me most was his selflessness. I’ve thought a lot about how I can carry forward his legacy of spreading joy. This means showing up for my friends and family—whether it’s listening when they’re going through a tough time, supporting them at important events, or simply doing something spontaneous and fun to make them laugh. My relationships with others are something I deeply value, and I try to show that every day. Even though my version of spreading joy doesn’t involve pulling a bunny out of a top hat, I still choose to bring smiles to people’s faces—something I know my grandpa would be proud of.
