Little Wishes, Big Wishes

It's 2016, and I can't believe 10 years have passed since we began our adoption journey. Instead of tracking every single slow-moving day while we were waiting for Wendy, I now find that months seem to fly by with mind-blowing motion.

This was our third Christmas with Wendy, and the most fun so far. She has reached such a cute age, full of enthusiasm and wonder. Not that we want her to be materialistic, but we were surprised when she said the ONLY thing she wanted for Christmas was a purple fuzzy blanket from Maddie. That's it. Maddie has her own purple fuzzy blanket, so we think Wendy was trying to emulate her big sister. This modest request did cause me some anxiety, as I feared we would not be able to find one that looked or felt just like Maddie's. I scrutinized dozens of photos of blankets on Amazon, and held my breath when she opened it on Christmas morning. I'm happy to report she was delighted and has slept with it every night since.

The magic of Christmas has extended to all things magical. Wendy loves to dress like superheroes and use her magic wand. She loves to ask us, "What is your little wish, and what is your big wish?" and then wave her wand to make them come true. These are very interesting questions, and usually my little wishes relate to using magic to clean the house, but my big wishes require more thought. I try to give her answers that are honest, but appropriate for a 4-1/2-year-old. Like most people, I have students, friends, and family members going through tough times right now, so the big wishes in my head and heart go to them. These kinds of hopes and prayers are hard to explain to a young child without going into lots of details, which will prompt endless questions. Often, I tell her that my big wishes are for both of my girls to grow up happy and healthy. With the wave of the wand and a declaration of "Pocus-pocus!", she commands the universe to make it so.





But the truth is, I've already gotten my big wish. Wendy is home. She is happy, healthy, and so, so sweet. How dare I ask for more?

So for now, I wish for quality time. Wendy constantly reminds me to slow down and enjoy the little things in life that bring us joy.  From warm cuddles on the couch, to discovering new books, to unloading the dishwasher, she makes the most of each moment.  In fact, she is so enthralled with our salad spinner that she has transformed a chore I have dreaded into moments full of curiosity and laughter. "How does it work?" "Let me try!" Watching her spin that sucker with determination is like nothing I've ever seen. Who knew that washing lettuce could be so fun?

Perhaps, the wish granted that makes me the happiest is seeing my girls together. While they can fight like any other siblings, they also continue to have sweet moments that warm my heart. Maddie recently found out she will play the coroner in her school's production of The Wizard of Oz, so she is reading the book to Wendy to prepare her for watching the musical this spring. Likewise, the other day I caught Wendy trying to tell her big sister a secret. I just love the bond they have formed.

This quality time with loved ones is more important than ever. The older I get, the more I appreciate the special times because I know they won't last forever. Change is inevitable, and we are on the verge of two big transitions in our own house. We are a semester away from Wendy starting kindergarten and Maddie starting high school. Gulp! It sounds cliche, but I feel like just yesterday Wendy was coming home and the girls were beginning preschool and middle school.

So in the meantime, we are going to enjoy the simple softness of a purple fuzzy blanket and let our imaginations empower us to become superheroes. With each other, we can face anything.