Why Do We Hesitate To Make Wishes?

On my kitchen counter

Tucked off to the side

In its own corner of the world

Is a ziplock bag full of milkweed seeds.

They have been there for well over a year.

I think they journeyed to me from my Mom.

It’s been so long that when they arrived

They looked completely different.

Contained and flat

In the safety of their pods.

And now

The silky, white, fluffy lushness

Has grown and expanded

Filling up any remaining empty space.

And it’s bizarre

Because I haven’t made one single wish. 

It was different when I was younger

I was generous. 

But now

There’s a part of me that hesitates.

Is this worthy of a wish?

Do I really need that?

Am I in enough pain?

Do I deserve that?

And when I really sit down and think about it

The answer to every one of those questions

Is yes.

We can accept the hard parts of our lives

And come to terms with our own individual

Challenges and sufferings

Without being limited in our wishes.

In fact

If anything

Our acceptance and our bravery

In the world as adults

Day in and day out

Should not only be complimented

But rewarded

With the ability

To make as many wishes as we want.

To dream of impossible things.

To hope when the odds are against us.

And to wish

For things to be different

Or easier

Even when we’ve already accepted them not to be.

And that’s ok.

That’s acceptance with room for honesty.

That’s logic with room for feeling.

And that’s being an adult

With room

For being a kid.

And we should never

Ever

Forget how to be kids.