The Magic We Make: What Red One Teaches Us About Hope in a Hard Time

“Cruelty may intimidate, but only love endures. The magic we make together will always outshine the darkness that fears it.” - Mary Coughlin

I watched Red One recently — this wild, delightful, unexpectedly tender movie that reminds us of a truth as old as story itself:

The forces that seek to control, dominate, and divide are no match for the magic that rises when ordinary people choose courage, kindness, and connection.

In the film, darkness doesn’t win. Not because it isn’t powerful, but because its power is brittle — rooted in fear, scarcity, and the illusion that people can be controlled if you frighten them enough.

Sound familiar?

Today, in the United States, we are living under a regime that thrives on this same brittle logic — one that tries to convince us that cruelty is strength, that compassion is weakness, and that democracy is negotiable. We are watching the erosion of institutions, the targeting of marginalized communities, the dismantling of global alliances, and the normalization of fear as a political strategy.

And yet…Even in this moment, the magic is stirring.

Because magic, in the real world, isn’t sleigh bells and secret portals — it’s the everyday courage of people who refuse to look away.

• It’s neighbors checking on one another.

• It’s clinicians advocating for families.

• It’s teachers protecting truth in their classrooms.

• It’s communities organizing, resisting, remembering who we are to one another.

Magic is every act of love that insists on humanity in a time that rewards indifference.

Red One reminded me that even the smallest flicker can outshine a regime built on intimidation.
Because fear can coerce — but it cannot inspire. Cruelty can silence — but it cannot heal.
Power can harm — but it can never outlast the people who choose each other.

And that is where our hope lies.

Not in waiting for a hero, but in becoming the kind of collective capable of protecting what’s sacred: our children, our communities, our democracy, our shared future.

Love is not passive. Kindness is not soft. Courage is not optional.
Together, they are the most potent force in the world — the very thing that tyrants cannot understand and can never, ever defeat.

So if you’re feeling weary, discouraged, or overwhelmed, remember this:

✨ The magic is real — because we are the ones who make it.
✨ And love, even now, is winning in ways authoritarianism cannot comprehend.
✨ Stay awake. Stay connected. Stay human.

This is how we save what is worth saving.

Reflection Prompt

Where have you experienced real-world magic recently — the kind born from courage, connection, or kindness? And what might it look like to nurture more of it in the days ahead?

With love, courage, and faith in the magic we make together,
Mary