Make a Wish!

By Rhonda Whetstone Neibauer

   Wishing is a wonderful thing, even if the entire concept is a bit beyond our grasp.

   What is a wish? It is not exactly a hope, as hope has the connotation that something can be achieved. A wish is something that often is not quite as attainable. Nevertheless, it does not stop us from wishing.

   From childhood on, we are taught that wishes are special. We learn to wish upon a star, blow the dandelion fuzz into the air and make a wish, and that fairy tales can come true if we wish hard enough.

   While most of us leave those simple whimsical thoughts behind as we enter our teens and adulthood, there is still a part of us that can’t help but “wish” from time to time.

   Wishing can be a good thing. It is what keeps hopes and dreams alive and keeps us striving for things that might otherwise be out of our grasp. It gives us the drive to move forward—to reach beyond what is right in front of us. Even dreams that seem unattainable can seem possible with the help of wishing.

   But often, wishing holds us back from realizing our full potential. It gives us permission to say, “Well, I am not sure I can accomplish that but I sure wish I could.”

   I am sure most of you have heard the old saying “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” Simply put, it means that if life were truly as easy as simply wishing something would happen, no one would strive for anything. Even the laziest would have it all. Wishing would remove any part we would play in accomplishments and goals.

   On the surface you might think, “So what? Sounds good to me!” But in reality, there are few feelings as wonderful as accomplishing something through your own hard work and dedication. A job well done is something to be proud of. Real satisfaction comes from saying “I did that myself.” Wishing and having it happen takes away that sense of completion and pride.

   I think the happiest people are those who realize the importance of do-it-yourself, but who can still find some time, while enjoying a hard-earned rest, to look to the sky and make a silly wish upon a star. That is the best of all worlds.