Tip: There are 4 elements of a wish!
A while back, I spoke to the Make-a-Wish Foundation in Ottawa, Canada. I had a wonderful time and met many great people. As you may know, the Make-a-Wish Foundation assists children who are facing some type of life-threatening medical condition. The organization does everything it can, within their power, to make a certain “wish” come true for a child and his or her family.
My recent involvement with this Foundation taught me that all wishes fall into one of four categories: See, Meet, Have, Go. All four of these categories create the purpose for a wish. Let me explain a little further because I think you will find it as interesting as I did. I will explain why at the end of this Tip.
See – This involves a wish to see something the child has never seen before, such as a beautiful ocean scene or snow-covered mountains. It usually involves some place that they have only seen in pictures or in the movies. They want to see it with their own eyes and breathe in the beauty of the moment for themselves.
Meet – Typically this involves the wish to meet someone the child has only heard about in the news or seen on the big screen – usually a movie star or a professional athlete. It is someone who has become a personal hero to them.
Have – The child wants to have something for themselves and/or their family that they would not otherwise be able to own. More often than not, the item is usually not real extravagant, but something as simple as a motor scooter, for instance, that meets a personal need or desire in their young life.
Go – This wish involves traveling to some exciting location the child has seen or heard about all of their lives. Disney World, in Orlando, Florida is a popular choice. Others want to share a trip to Hawaii or some other wonderful vacation spot with their family.
As you can see, some of these categories may overlap, but as I was told at the Make-a-Wish Foundation, everything filters down to one of those four areas. I love simplicity!
As I thought about this, I suddenly realized that wishing is not just for children in need who were facing a medical crisis in their lives. The same elements that constitute a wish for them are true for all of us, as well. I have come to believe and understand that all of us want to “See, Meet, Have, or Go” in our own life, too. Think about it for a minute. If you could have anything you wanted or do anything that you wanted to do, wouldn’t it fall in one of those four categories?
Helping critically ill children and their families fulfill their wishes is a worthy endeavor; however, not all of us are facing that kind of painful or uncertain future. In fact, things for the many people are moving along in a fairly normal manner. Yet, we can still have the same desire to see, meet, have, or go as those children and their families. That is good news! Those four aspects of life are available to all of us.
I am grateful for my opportunity to be involved with Make-a-Wish Foundation. They have helped me focus on some of my own wishes for my life and future, and for my family and friends, as well.
Let me encourage you to think about your wishes, your dreams and your own goals. What do you want to see? Who do you want to meet? What do you want to have? And, where do you want to go? They are all possible. Never give up on your dreams! Never give up on your wishes! They are really what life is all about, whether things are going well or going badly. In time, we all will have both experiences! Why not look to the future and experience some things that fill your heart with hope? Let’s all make a wish!
Tip: There are 4 elements of a wish!
Have a great week! God bless you!
Dr. Robert A. Rohm
