Just when I was starting to despair over the price of groceries, when the price of filling my gas tank suddenly became what my grocery bill used to be; just when I had started to lose sleep wondering how we'll actually be able to send four kids to college a decade from now, my son has found the solution to all of life's troubles.
This young man, who is getting ready to start kindergarten in the autumn, has introduced us to concept of the Wish Bracelet. He discovered this wondrous device at pre-kindergarten, where they are all the rage with the under-5 set. A Wish Bracelet is as it sounds: you make a wish and the bracelet provides.
Several of his friends have Wish Bracelets, though I have yet to hear any news of financial windfalls or miraculous events among his friends' families. This doesn't daunt my boy, who is certain that the bracelet will work. His friends have assured him of ongoing success with their Wish Bracelets.
My son is planning to ask for a Wish Bracelet for his birthday later in the year. If that fails, he'll ask Santa and then, according to him, we'll be set for life. Oh, and he can wish that we never die, so it'll be a long life. My little boy is quite a spokesman for the Wish Bracelet. His face lights up as he describes the endless possibilities. Nothing we desire is out of reach.
If it turns out that the magic of the Wish Bracelet has been overstated, perhaps we could make that million selling them. No snake oil salesman ever had a better pitch than this child has with his big blue eyes sparkling from his little face and his grin from ear to ear as he assures you earnestly that all will be well once a Wish Bracelet is secured.
From what he has told us, he must be the owner of the Wish Bracelet. We can't have them, but he will happily wish on our behalf for anything we desire as often as we like. His father asked for a million bucks and it's on the list. I asked for five million — no sense thinking small. I am assured that once the bracelet is secured the money will arrive.
My son's older brothers will be happy wishing for a Wii and larger allowances while the wish-master will be quite content with a full compliment of Webkinz. The youngest brother has no idea what it is all about, so, like any good youngest child, he'll be happy with whatever he gets.
As I ponder the possibilities, I find that once I've wished for enough to satisfy our long-term needs, my wishes turn outward. I start fixing the planet, one problem at a time. Even though I am working in the realm of fantasy, it is really easy to get caught up in the problem-solving. It's quite fun.
The order of things changes depending on my mood. Fix the problem of global warming, bring home our troops, feed the hungry, it goes on and it gets very idealistic. But with the Wish Bracelet it is all possible — at least in my head.
Once I've accomplished all of that, of course there are other, less philanthropic, ideas that cross my mind. I would wish for children with perfect table manners and a husband who "gets" why I'm upset about something, listens and doesn't try to fix it. I would wish for toys that put themselves away. The ability to find something I'd like to watch on television when I have time to watch without cruising through 100 channels, now that's a wish I'd make.
The wishing is unlimited and it should last forever — or as long as my 5-year-old believes in the magic.
