Wishes...

on dandelions...birthday candles...first stars...and falling stars...fingers crossed...shed eyelashes...wishbones...coins in fountains...necklace clasps turned around backwards and kissed...can you think of any more?

I'm wondering if these are universal, or are they particular to a region?

Do you still make wishes? If so, is it from habit, tradition, or do you really believe wishes come true?

Oh, here's another one...I remember as a kid riding in a car, making sure to pick up both feet as you cross a railroad track, then scratch the ceiling and make a wish. This seems less like a wish and more like ritualistic behaviors.

I hate e-mails that tell me to make a wish, and forward the message to all my address book if I want the wish to come true. I tried it once...I wished I would never get another one of those kinds of e-mails...didn't work.

I use the phrase 'I wish...' but that's not a real wish. And I don't expect the materialization of something desired just because I have enough hot air to extinguish all of my many birthday candles in one breath.

But there's something sweet about watching a hope-filled child waiting for the first star as darkness falls so that they can make their wish. So I'll make a wish too. I'll wish that there will always be children to wish on stars. And I believe this one will come true.