Making wishes

Yesterday Dan and I took the girls for a short walk after I returned home from work. Beth rode her bike, and Erin sat happily in the stroller. Amy chose to walk along with us rather than ride her bike. As we strolled, Amy chattered away. Then she turned to me and remarked, "Mommy, I'm really looking hard for a wish-washer. If you see any, let me know. I'm always so happy when I find a wish-washer".

I glanced over at Dan to see if he had any idea what she was talking about. He shrugged his shoulders and held up his hands as if to say "Don't ask me!" Amy continued to talk about this strange object, until finally I interrupted.

"Amy, what is a wish-washer?" I queried.

She looked at me in disbelief. "Mommy, a wish-washer. You know! You've seen lots of them before. Just keep looking!!"

So we continued to walk and chat, until suddenly Amy stopped short. "Oh!" she breathed. "Look! A wish-washer! I found one. I really, really found one!"

I followed her glance, and there, in a neighbor's yard, was a white, fluffy dandelion. Oh, I can remember loving those when I was a kid. We would make wishes and blow the fluff away, watching the white clouds float all around us. Amy apparently made up her own name for this weed, but she certainly knew exactly what to do with it.

She ran to the yard and gently picked the wish-washer. She jogged back to us, and then, in the middle of the side-walk, she closed her little eyes tightly. She scrunched up her face, deep in concentration, and then opened her eyes again. Then she blew...and blew...until all the fluff was floating on the wind...landing on her hair, and on the street around her.

She looked at us with a beautiful smile. "I wished!", she said happily. "I made a wish, but I can't ever tell you what it was. I'm so, so happy that we found a wish-washer".

I wonder just what it was that she wished for. I wonder where she came up with this adorable-sounding name for the dandelion. But most of all, I wonder how something as simple as a dandelion can make us stop and realize just how blessed we really are.

Next time you go outside, look around. See if you can find a wish-washer. And if you find one...what will you wish for?