a wish is a strange and beautiful thing

Jiminy Cricket told us "When you wish upon a star, Your dreams come true" and we watched a wooden puppet get his heart's desire to become a real boy. So we wished on shooting stars. We wished on eyelashes and dandelion puffs, coins being thrown into a fountain and birthday candles.

And then there was Cinderella, the ultimate dreamer. Living life under the iron fist of a wicked stepmother, plagued by ugly stepsisters and a never-ending staircase that always needed to be washed. Sure she had her friends- talking mice who could sew a mean ball gown- but she dreamed of a Prince and a castle and true love. She made a wish and a Fairy Godmother popped out of nowhere to bippitty bop her all the way to the ball. And she met her prince and fell in love, and (after a few plot twists) lived happily ever after.

As children, we were encouraged to wish... and to whole-heartedly believe that those dreams would come true. They told us we could be anything we wanted to be: Astronaut, Teacher, President, Ballerina, Fireman, Musician, Princess, Dog-Walker, Football Legend, or Ice Cream Store Owner.

Then we got old. We were no longer told to follow our dreams. We were told to choose majors and career paths that would bring us wealth, or at least job security. We settled for what we could get, rather than continue to strive for what we wanted. They said to be careful what we wished for, because we just might get it. But isn't that the point of making a wish?

So I say: dream on. Because after all, "a dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep." And nothing is quite so beautiful as the complete assurance that anything is possible.