On January 6, Three Kings Day, I was about to start writing my weekly column for Al Día News, when I stumbled on Facebook with this reflection on that tradition so dear to the children of our countries. It is so beautiful that I felt the desire, rather the need, to share it with my readers, although I am afraid that my translation from Spanish to English does not capture Iñaki Rodeño’s words in all their beauty. For that, I apologize to him and to my English-speaking readers.

Rodeño, its author, a university professor from Bilbao, Spain, is someone whom I appreciate and admire. Here are his words:

“Once I saw the Magi. There were not three, they were two and they were the best magicians I saw in my life. They managed to always put something in the shoes, small, a little something. Even if there was nothing, they managed to get what for us was everything. I never saw the third one, but they surely left him taking care of the camels. Never, I will never forget the two kings I saw. Surely you also saw them and know who they are and know that they are more magicians than kings. If you stopped believing, if tonight you don't put out your shoes, grass, or water, come closer to your kings, kiss them on the forehead (you know you have them close) and, those who don't have them with you, know that from a beautiful sky they keep on traveling to continue delivering illusions and smiles ...

Thank them for the inheritance because now many of you have become kings and magicians. And the best thing you can leave for your children is that magic that will make them kings and magicians…. And maybe, in a few years, you will receive the kiss on the forehead and so it will be until the end of time ... Happy night for the kings of today, for those of yesterday and the kings of the future, because there is no better kingdom than the magical, no better kings than you. ”