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The Wishing Tree (1): A Destiny City Star Festival Tradition to be held every year; In Town Square, there is a beautiful tree with spreading branches. It is tall, but the lowest branches are easily reached. The city has decorated the tree with small, starlike ornaments and glistening lights. Thick leaves and beautiful purple flowers dangle from the branches, along with a myriad of different colored papers with handwritten wishes. Next to the tree is a stack of blank paper with twine attached, and a handwritten sign that explains:
Write your wish on a sheet of paper and tie it to the tree. Take one wish off the tree and do your best to grant it. When you have granted the wish, bury the paper in the park.
The papers are biodegradable and filled with seeds. There are no rules for wishing, but you are encouraged to wish for something vague enough that it can be interpreted in many ways so that it can be granted; you do not write your name on it, but it is encouraged to write something that doesn’t wish for self gain, but rather something that can make the world a better place. Some wishes dangling from the tree already include things like “I wish there wasn’t so much litter in the park,” “I wish someone would clean the graffiti off the old historic buildings,” and “I wish there were more volunteers at the shelter.”
If you choose to use the Wishing Tree, what do you wish for? If your wish is private, you may write it on the paper and choose a spot in the park and bury it yourself instead of hanging it on the tree.
Write your wish on a sheet of paper and tie it to the tree. Take one wish off the tree and do your best to grant it. When you have granted the wish, bury the paper in the park.
The papers are biodegradable and filled with seeds. There are no rules for wishing, but you are encouraged to wish for something vague enough that it can be interpreted in many ways so that it can be granted; you do not write your name on it, but it is encouraged to write something that doesn’t wish for self gain, but rather something that can make the world a better place. Some wishes dangling from the tree already include things like “I wish there wasn’t so much litter in the park,” “I wish someone would clean the graffiti off the old historic buildings,” and “I wish there were more volunteers at the shelter.”
If you choose to use the Wishing Tree, what do you wish for? If your wish is private, you may write it on the paper and choose a spot in the park and bury it yourself instead of hanging it on the tree.
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“Welcome, welcome!”
Dawn was greeted with a cheery welcome and a wave to bring her closer to one of the tables for the Wishing Tree. This was one of the booths that the young woman wanted to visit the most, the other booths were all neat and everything but this one was the one that drew her to it. The idea that writing down your wish ment it was possible that it could come true was such a childish thought but still so very sweet. Even better when she was told that it was best to write down a wish that would make the world a better place. Each new wish added to the tree would come with the obligation to remove a wish and for the wisher to do their best to grant, then plant, the plucked wish. Ultimately making things just a little brighter in the city, and maybe the world.
She didn’t really know what to write, there were just so many things to wish for. Fixing climate change, stopping wars, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless. So many global injustices needed to be wished for and yet none of them were really things that were feasible for another person to do. She needed to keep it ‘small’ and local. Something that even a child could do, depending on their circumstance.
It was actually the idea of kids that gave Dawn her answer. She knew exactly what she was going to write and with it in mind she got her little wish paper, borrowed a pen, and quickly wrote ‘I wish there were more readers at the animal shelter’. The next steps were simple, she returned the pen, tied up her wish, and drew another one to try to complete. Her return wish was a request for assistance at a food pantry, something she would gladly assist with. She might not be able to donate any food or money to the program but she could donate some of her time, especially since her college classes were out for the season.
All Dawn would have to do is figure out how to work in volunteer hours at the pantry with her job and the other places she volunteered at. It could be done, it would just take some moving things around. But all of that could be done later, right now she wanted to enjoy the rest of the festival, there were still more booths to check out.
“Oh wait! Don’t forget your star charm!” The young lady who had greeted her earlier and gave her the rundown on the wishing tree passed Dawn a little charm with several violet stars dangling off of it. Dawn smiled and thanked the lady, quickly pocketing the charm. The charms were adorable and she enjoyed collecting them. She had a few from last year as well, but ultimately the feeling of a job well done, once she completed the wish, was enough of a reward for her. The little charm was just a bonus.
