Lets make a Wish!

Over the winter break, we watched the movie Wonder Woman 1984. The glamorous Gal Gadot is reason enough to watch the marvelous movie. The strong and smart Diana aka Wonder Woman comes across a wishing stone called the Dreamstone. According to DC media, the Dreamstone is an otherwise worthless citrine stone that was created by the God of Treachery and Mischief, Dechalafrea Ero, with the power to grant any wish that is made in its presence, but only once per person. The wishes come at a cost, however, and the stone is linked to the collapse of several societies.

“It’s a ‘Monkey’s Paw!’” exclaims Wonder Woman, referring to the famous story by W. W. Jacobs first published in 1902. In the story, a couple is given an artifact (a monkey’s paw, of course) which will grant them three wishes but each will come with terrible consequences. The man first wishes for £200 (roughly $1 million in old money) only to be told the next day that his son has been killed in a horrific accident at the factory where he works – the factory offers a £200 settlement.

Now because this was a movie, it obviously lands in the hands of the villain, Maxwell Lord and Wonder Woman has to work her magic to retrieve it and restore peace in the World. She famously says, "Be careful what you wish for and understand what the wish is costing you."

While I was completely absorbed in the brilliance of the strong and incredible Wonder Woman, I also wondered why are wishes so sought after? There are numerous stories that surround about being granted a wish or more. Cinderella and Aladdin each had a Godmother and a Genie to fulfill their wishes respectively. It would be a white lie if anyone ever told you that they have never imagined finding a lost lamp and dreamed of rubbing it for a genie to appear who would later grant them anything they wish for. I may also bet, most already know what their 3 wishes would be!

"I believe in wishes and in a person's ability to make a wish come true, I really do. And a wish is more than a wish... it's a goal that your conscience and subconscious can help make reality." - Michael Jackson

So tell me, what would your three wishes be? Ok, I understand and I know we are not children and agree that you may think its a silly thing to imagine but just think about it. No intentions to make you nervous but, the answer to this question reveals a lot about one's character and where their values lie. What do you wish for yourself and others? Do you think about others or only focus completely on yourself? The response also reveals if you think about the present or the distant future. Do you wish for specific things with short term wants or do you wish for resources that would help get many things with benefits in the long run?

This canvass also tests your creativity and flexibility. Do you accept the question and try to make the answers meaningful, despite it being a whimsical exercise? Or did you reject the question as silly and only answer half-heartedly? Employers could be asking this in the interview process to get a sense of the prospective hire or blind dates could include this in the conversations. I think it's interesting to see how family and friends address this.

“Never be afraid to wish for what you really want in life. Wishes are possible manifestation of thoughts." - Lailah Gifty Akita

Wishing on a dandelion, wishing on a shooting star, wishing on a 4 leafed clover or even when making a wish as we are blowing out candles on a birthday cake… what happens when we make a wish? Almost everyone has made a wish on a coin before dropping it into a well or before blowing away an eyelash.

Do all our wishes come true? Nope. Not near enough. But it can be a start. Spoken wishes can inspire others. Wishing is the first step to doing. If you don't have wishes, how would you know what you are working towards. It's natural to wish. We can make simple wishes like, "I wish the Buccaneers win today." or more long term, "I wish I could travel again." I believe there is no way we can get this wrong.

Many also believe, "If you really want your wish to come true you must never ever tell anyone." That seems more inaccurate. Unless you are afraid of being judged, there is no scientific reason for not sharing your heart's true desire with your near and dear ones. It is possible that your wish may come true and it's also possible it may not. Doesn’t sharing our wishes give us a better chance of making them happen? What is the worst that can happen? Bollywood celebrity Shah Rukh Khan splendidly said this in one of his movies, "Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho ... to puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai". In translation it means, that if you really desire something from the heart ... then the whole universe will work towards getting you that."

It sounds strange but in many ways, 2020 was the answer to the wishes of many. I wish for a weekend at home without any social commitment. Granted! How I wish my husband wouldn't travel every week. Done! I just wish I could binge watch The Queen's Gambit. Sure! I miss my young adult children. I wish they didn't have to be so far during the pandemic. Remote learning and work from home! All fulfilled :). The best climax of this year was our sweet family friends in the neighborhood who conceived and brought a third boy, a little precious gem after 13 years right before the end of 2020. Absolutely thrilled for them. There is no comparison to the counts of people who have suffered in numerous ways during the past year but there have been a few silver linings and blessings in disguise. So many wishes came true even without us realizing.

Making a wish is being sincere to your dreams. It proves that humans hope to always look for a purpose in life, hence we wish. To wish is to live.

As we continued to witness the Wonder Woman healing the World that day, my darling daughter suddenly jerked and hurriedly pointed to a digital clock in our living room, while announcing, "It's 11:11 quick make a wish." My GoodMan paused the movie and my sincere son closed his eyes, while all of us stayed silent for a while and then looked at each other.

The chatty one asked me, "What did you wish for Mummy?" I thought for a moment and said, "I wished that I could get a hug from you." She readily hugged me and smiled, then added, "Your wish already came true. That's so easy."

My GoodMan gave me a gleeful chuckle and murmured, "How did we get so lucky?"

I simply smiled :)

~ MG