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.


Mel had taken a paper for the wishing tree on Day One of this year’s Star Festival, along with a charm that was offered to her very enthusiastically by a volunteer. Last year she wrote something simple and easy enough to fulfill if someone happened to pick hers–something about having fewer animals at the animal shelter. This year she, for whatever reason, was leaning a bit more on her sense of optimism and desire to be honest with herself about a couple of things in her life. One was the whole situation with Jacob, who she still had no idea what role he was meant to play, if any, in her life. The other was far more sensitive, and was about an aspect in her life that she rarely, if ever, truly thought about.

Last year she had a curious experience one afternoon that brought forth memories of a time of life that she didn’t realize she still held onto in some fashion, even if it was subconsciously. Memories of her biological family–a father, mother, and brother that she didn’t really know. Those memories, while they elicited a loneliness that she never dared to admit she felt on occasion to anyone in her family, were happy. Vague as they were, she couldn’t deny that she felt loved and truly cherished during those times, and particularly by her brother. Even if it was all just vague memories, just glimpses of a life that was essentially taken from her, she could tell…

And it honestly scared her.

The desire to try and find them was one she was always very careful about, because she knew it was there. She knew it was an aspect of her life that she’d yet to truly find closure on, and so her curiosity alone didn’t allow it, never mind the deeper seated emotions–grief, loneliness, abandonment, and the need to know the “how” and the “why” behind her situation being at the fore, however there was plenty there for her to sift through if she really wanted to.

Her floating, wisp of a sidekick showed up just then, and she couldn't help but smile in appreciation of its support. She allowed herself the brief distraction, but then quickly refocused on the strip of paper.

“Do I really want to, though?” she said as she stared down the small strip of paper.

As though asking aloud was exactly what she needed, the answer came so readily that it surprised even her.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, and she vigorously rubbed her nose and cleared her throat a few times to fight off the urge to cry.

Yes, she did want to. Of course she wanted to. She wanted to hear a proper explanation from them. She wanted to know how and why. She wanted to hear them say that they loved her, that they were sorry that they left her, and that they were devastated when they realized they’d come back too late and had lost her for so many years. She wanted to hear them tell her that they would love to reconnect, if she was willing.

She wanted them to want her.

She wanted to know.

Mel scribbled a little something on the strip of paper and shoved it, along with her wallet, keys, and phone into her sling. She then prepped Lulu for a walk, then after slipping into a comfortable pair of sneakers and popping her earphones in, she headed out to the tune of some really soothing LoFi. They headed for the park where the Wishing Tree was. Upon arriving she took a quick look around, and when she was satisfied that there was no one else around to see her, she found a decent enough spot and buried her strip of paper.

It wasn’t something she was ready to share with the world, but it was an honest wish. Hopefully, one day, it would come true.

But for now, this was more than enough.

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