List #10 WISHES

Today's challenge is to make a list of wishes. I've been thinking about this, on and off, all day. I've also spent most of my day in a meeting with people from all over the state talking about what the ODE plan for literacy, birth - grade 12, should be even if we have no money to use. Ironic? How much of my work day is spent wishing I could do something that is impossible to do? I often find that what I really want to do/implement/make happen is simply impossible due to many factors (culture, funding, staffing, space and other physical resources, education). My wish list could go on indefinitely if I let it, and I wouldn't even have to stop talking about work!

Then I come home to our lovely little house and start to see all the things I wish we could do here; remodel, fix-up, replace. That wish list, also, is huge.

And don't even get me started on all the things I wish I could do with/for my family and friends . . .or things I wish we could change about the world! My mind goes crazy!

So where do I start to make a list? I have a list of things I"m looking forward to - attainable goals, if you will. I've already done that. I have many things that could be included in a wish list.

I have no idea where to begin, but here are some huge wishes that have been and probably will always be on my heart.

I wish:

• that people would learn to put aside their egos and insecurities and really care about one another
• that I had more time to spend with my son/my husband/my parents/my friends
• that I had more time to knit each day
• that knitting would somehow allow me to lose weight instead of having to exercise
• that every parent in the world would care more about their children than they do about their own comfort and amusements and really be able to nurture/parent their children with love and respect
• that all of our children were ready for Kindergarten when they start Kindergarten
• that teachers were respected enough to get fair wages for the hard work they do, one of the most valuable and far-reaching jobs in our society, a job that will make or break our country
• that people would stop trying to solve conflict with violence
• that somehow we could be less vicious in our political disputes and work together to solve our systemic problems
• that Christians would remember that we are called to love all people, especially those with whom we disagree
• that I could function on less sleep each day
• that someone would come clean/organize my house ever night while I sleep
• that we (especially all of us working in the public sector) can get through the next 10 years w/o losing our jobs or having to declare bankruptcy
• that my son will find his niche in the world, be happy and Godly, and financially self-sufficient
• that I could stop worrying about so many things