Be . Careful . What . You . Wish . For
“Be careful what you wish for,” they say.
In January, while on Kangaroo Island dealing with the aftermath of the severe and devastating bushfires, I made a wish. I wished to be able to live on the island for six months - a seemingly impossible ask. At the time there were many valid reasons for that to be highly improbable: our life was based in Melbourne (1,000 kms away), my husband’s business was in Melbourne, there were regular activities for the children also there (school, tennis lessons, weekend competitions and piano lessons). Not to mention family commitments and close friends.
There were so many reasons that made that idea seem a fairytale wish; so completely far fetched.
And yet, here I am. Six months to the day after having arrived on the island. Six whole months.
That is the silver lining that a global pandemic has given me.
I am aware that I have been blessed. My family and friends are all well and physically untouched by COVID-19. There are many who have lost much during the pandemic of 2020. Loved ones have died or suffered terribly. Livelihoods have disappeared. So I am mindful that while I am grateful for the position I have been in, there are others whose world has been turned upside down and inside out in unimaginable ways.
Today, I look back on the past six months (a whole half year!) as my Cocoon phase.
The time has been filled with so much waiting, so much unknowing. Loss, grief, pain, fear, uncertainty, joy, surprise, peace, calm. All the feelings. There have been times of extreme slumps and aching and times of awe and gratitude.
As I reflect on the past six months I am choosing to not berate myself for what I have or haven’t accomplished; I know that this time of Cocooning has been a time for Becoming.
I think I am understanding that my Becoming is still evolving, that there is no final goal or first place on a podium. No, each step and stumble is just part of who I am. Learning to accept all that I AM is part of my journey.
Today, it is my eldest daughter’s birthday. We cannot be together because of the restrictions in place. Yet we can send her love and have enjoyed being able to catch up on-line. It was fun to be able to watch her opening her present from us and share in her delight and laughter.
If I have learnt anything from the ticking over of today’s milestone, most of all I would say to her (and everyone),
“Make wishes!”
And absolutely, “Ask for impossible things.”
Make many wishes no matter how absurd, audacious or seemingly impossible.
And then, keep living. Keep doing what you need to do. Keep aiming. Keep helping that wish along. Prepare yourself, do the work. And let it unfold. Time is not ours to marshal or command. It just is. Our job is to keep going.
“Be careful what you wish for,” they say.
Because ………
your wishes just might come true.
