Dandelions

When I was a young girl, dandelions were a thing of magic to me. During the summer months, one of my most favorite past times was to go out on the lawn and pick dandelions. Now it wasn't dandelions in the yellow weedy variety that I loved so much. No, it was when they turned to the wispy white flower that many dreams and wishes were made.  At least, my wishes and dreams.

I remember how exhilarating it was for me to pluck a dandelion from the green earth. While holding the dandelion in my hand with my legs crisscrossed beneath me; I would close my eyes, make a wish and then blow. I then watched in amazement as my wishes and dreams floated away into the sky.

Looking back, I wonder if I was hoping they would land in the place where dreams came true.

I did this every chance I could get. It was like blowing out birthday candles every warm, summer day when my actual birthday was in the fall.

The wishes were of the typical young child variety: I wished I'd get that super cool pink bicycle for my birthday, or that my mom would get me that Barbie I had seen at the store.

But most of the time they were, typically, these two wishes:

• I wished to become a nurse someday.

• I wished my family would live forever.

What I didn't know then, but I do know now is that for those two wishes in particular – one has much more to do with hard work and dedication and the other, is left up to fate, chance and life decisions.

We were all young once and in time learned these lessons.

Regardless, on the occasional summer day, when the dandelions are in full bloom, like snowballs on stems in the summer – I still have the urge to run outside, sit in the grass, pluck one of those babies from the ground, close my eyes and make a wish.