I think everyone could use a lighthearted/happy story right now so here goes:
At the beginning of the pandemic I went through some painful personal stuff and would often go out at night for long walks because no one was around and I couldn’t sleep anyway. One night I was walking
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
The pandemic has been hard for everyone, and it's reminded us of the value of human relationships. Now more than ever, it's important to find ways to connect with each other. Photographer Kelly Victoria did so in a creative and heartwarming way that is just the story we need for 2020. In a multi-part tale told on Twitter, she shares how she made a connection with a 4-year-old girl named Eliana who felt similarly lonely in quarantine, and how their correspondence—done from afar—helped them both cope with their new realities.
Victoria begins her story by explaining that at the beginning of the pandemic she was going through “some painful personal stuff” and would go on long walks at night. While out, she saw that someone had set up a fairy garden in a tree planter. The note was from Eliana, who said she felt isolated in quarantine and wanted to spread some cheer via the garden. “The next day I wrote a little note to her,” Victoria explains, “pretending to be a fairy named Sapphire that had come to live in the tree because she had set it up so nicely and I left it on the tree that night on my walk and said I would gift her with a magical fairy dice if she did three things for me.” These things were centered around acts of kindness.
Victoria wasn’t sure if Eliana would write back or even find the note. But she did, and Eliana shared how she had extended kindness towards others—such as delivering a birthday cake for her friend. This started a correspondence between the two that included Victoria, acting as Sapphire, giving little gifts to the girl. “Doing this every night gave me purpose in a horribly painful and lonely time. I looked forward to my days again and I started ordering art supplies and little trinkets to leave her.”
At the same time, Victoria was in touch with Eliana’s mom. After about nine months of the Sapphire / Eliana exchange, Eliana's mom told Victoria that they would be moving to a new house farther away. She also mentioned that Eliana was having a hard time with the move, so Victoria told her that she was moving too. “Her mom said it was helping her so much and they really wanted to try to see me somehow before they left.”
After a few days of planning, Victoria and Eliana met. “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.”
Of course, Eliana and her mom “caught” Victoria (dressed as Sapphire) leaving the present. They then spent an hour sitting and talking. “It was incredible,” Victoria recalls, “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.”
The two plan to still write letters to each other from time to time. “She’s changed me forever and the things her mom has said about how her self-confidence, her kindness towards others, and her creativity have skyrocketed since meeting me make me feel like I made an impact too.”
The touching story went viral on Twitter. Thousands of people have been inspired by it, and the tale even caught Oprah’s attention. “If you're up for it,” the mogul wrote to Victoria, “how about a magical trip to Disney with Eliana, her parents, and a friend when it's safe again? On me. Think y'all need to meet Tinkerbell!”
In a viral Twitter thread, photographer Kelly Victoria detailed a heartwarming story of playing a fairy named Sapphire and the connection she made with a 4-year-old named Eliana.
down my street and noticed that someone had set up a few little objects in a tree planter and upon closer inspection I realized it was a fairy garden with a little note about the 4 year old girl who felt lonely in quarantine and wanted to spread some cheer. The next day I wrote pic.twitter.com/aCEK2k5PCy
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
a little note to her, pretending to be a fairy named Sapphire that had come to live in the tree because she had set it up so nicely and I left it on the tree that night on my walk and said I would gift her with a magical fairy dice (I got really into crafting resin rpg die at pic.twitter.com/c0FDrlSm3M
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
the start of the pandemic) if she did 3 things for me: pic.twitter.com/1Ae9DjazAW
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
the start of the pandemic) if she did 3 things for me: pic.twitter.com/1Ae9DjazAW
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
So I left a bunch of my die that had small imperfections and left her another note and also a little extra note for her parents with my name and phone number so they could contact me and know I wasn’t some creep leaving notes for their small child: pic.twitter.com/89B5PcpxBa
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
This was there the next day: pic.twitter.com/3jKB9bHcEh
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
Doing this every night gave me purpose in a horribly painful and lonely time. 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 pic.twitter.com/mTscxUMxwX
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
got to chat with her mom via text to make sure my gifts were a little more personal. At one point she asked for a photo of me and thankfully I had some elf costume items from the previous Halloween so I photoshopped some photos of myself in costume, looking like a fairy. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/XgTAWnuWXK
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
In the past month her mom sent me a text letting me know that they had closed escrow on a new house a little further away and would have to leave the fairy garden behind in the care of their neighbors. She also mentioned that Eliana was having a tough time with it so I made sure pic.twitter.com/PuulHuy0VC
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
to include some support in my letters and told her I had to move as well so she’d feel like we were both going through it together. Her mom said it was helping her so much and they really wanted to try to see me somehow before they left.
Well today, their moving day, after a pic.twitter.com/aBtff6OhWN
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
few days of planning with her mom, I got to meet Eliana. 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 pic.twitter.com/yMUWntFr3E
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
more gift for her and would leave it this afternoon and hoped 😉 she wouldn’t catch me. As they came back from their last walk around their neighborhood I was by the tree leaving her gift and she got to catch me in the act. (I got tested two days ago and her pic.twitter.com/ZpsCzEDdwI
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
parents did too to make sure we were all safe because I really needed to hug that girl) 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 pic.twitter.com/f82VX0J75p
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
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.
This is the book she wrote me after I encouraged her to keep telling such amazing stories. pic.twitter.com/lqRNyJSdxi
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
We plan to keep in touch/write letters to each other from time to time. She’s changed me forever and the things her mom has said about how her self-confidence, her kindness towards others and her creativity have skyrocketed since meeting me make me feel like I made an impact too. pic.twitter.com/UNkhkrEcR7
— kelly victoria 🪐 (@saysthefox) December 12, 2020
The story inspired many, including Oprah. She wants to send them on a trip to meet Tinkerbell.
What a selfless act @saysthefox did for this 4-yr-old: Showed her magic still exists even in the hardest of times. If you're up for it, how about a magical trip to Disney with Eliana, her parents, & a friend when it's safe again? On me. Think y'all need to meet Tinkerbell! https://t.co/nMkSVd5Xlg
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) December 14, 2020
Kelly Victoria: Website | Twitter | Instagram
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