Week 16
Last week, as I was with one of my students during a session, I noticed a long eyelash on his rosy cheek.
I stopped teaching, told him to stay still and took the eyelash. I placed it on my index finger and said to him, "Look sweetie, this is your eyelash. Close your eyes, make a wish, and blow at it"
He didn't question me. He closed his eyes for what seemed like an entire minute, opened his eyes and blew. He was excited. His little smirk told me so.
The next day I saw him while I picked up and waited for another student in his classroom. He walked up to me, and with sad little eyes said "My wish didn't come true."
My heart sunk. He had wished for a toy and innocently believed my every word. For a second I didn't know how to amend what I had done. But as I looked into his eyes, the words started flowing. I told him to keep wishing, but to work hard for what he wants as well. If he wants that toy, I told him to do all of his homework on time, pay attention in class, do his chores, help mommy and daddy out, and ask for the toy as a reward and be patient for when his parents can get it for him. To always wish and work hard for the wish. Those are the wishes that are most likely to come true. He seemed to understand what I said, and walked back to his seat with the same sweet smirk as the day before.
At first I thought I should have never introduced him to wish-making for every eyelash. He'll either pull out all of his eyelashes, or get his little heart broken time and time again, as this first time. But after seeing his reaction to my explanation, and knowing it will most likely stay with him more than what is taught to him during a lesson, I thought I did right.
Ever since I learned about wish-making, to stars, eyelashes, blowing birthday candles, 11:11, in no particular order, I got my heart broken several times. I'm a big wish believer. I believe in wanting something hard enough to wish it into reality. But I recently learned that as much as I wished for something, if it wasn't under my control, chances are those wishes would not come true. But for those wishes where I did have control over the outcome, I had to wish hard, and work hard to have them granted. There's no way around it. Not that I know of at least.
When I was young, I wished for my brother to get it together. I wished for him to come home early from parties. To stay home on weekends. For my parents not to argue. For my dad to be happy. For them to understand me. Those wishes weren't granted, even though I wished hard for them.
But other wishes, like getting the jobs I interviewed for, getting accepted to the college and gradschool of my choice, winning contests, etc. they did. Most, at least. Because I worked for them. I wished them every chance I got, every 11:11 am/pm I came across, every eyelash I found, the first star I saw every night. But I also did everything I could to obtain them.
I still make wishes now. The same wish over and over again. The one I now know I want more than anything. I wish to be a photographer and a writer. Full time. Do them both for a living. And just like I told my student, I'll not only wish for it, but I'll work hard for it, because one day the wish will be granted even if I blow at the eyelash when it's already gone, or I look at the time and make the wish a minute after 11:11.
No comments:
Post a Comment