As a child I could never get enough of those dried out dandelions, whose sole purpose is to provide the owner of the-big-blow, one simple wish. In the second grade I remember frolicking in a field of these weeds in which, to me and all other eight year old children, was full of endless golden opportunities. Going from one to the next I never seemed to run out of wishes. A wish for my mom, my dad, my sister Lauren, my brother Mark, my dog Harvey, my best friend Caroline, my cousin Marley…everybody I knew got a wish. Looking back I should have wished for a better haircut and looks that didn’t resemble a chubby boy, but I knew then that I had a life full of blessings so I should share my wishes to people who didn't have the chance to spend their days in a field of wishes. My prayers at night used to go much the same.
I think I had forgotten this until recently when I was babysitting a little girl named Janie who upon seeing a dried-up dandelion shrieked with excitement to blow it out. In a second, the once complete flower blew away with the wind and she was left with only the stem. She blew without hesitation and had a look of confidence and acheivement after the fact. I asked her what she wished for and since she hasn’t yet learned that wishes don’t come true when you share them, she exclaimed she wished she her two cousins could come over to play. How simple. Here I am nowadays wishing for a new car, a boyfriend, new clothes, success. Things that yes, would be nice, but maybe aren’t the most important things that I need to let consume me. Three year old Janie has already learned a wonderful lesson: that family and friends are important and should constantly be cherished. At twenty I again find myself revisiting my childhood to remember how to spend my wishes and am learning that wishing for other people brings you more happiness then thinking about yourself as you blow. My wish for you all today is that you'll learn the same.
image via ohyouprettythings
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