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If I had one wish

What's the one thing you would wish for your kids?

By Cath Jenkin

Pic: Diane Cassells

Article originally in Parent24

Video

Baby and dog are best friends

2012-12-13 15:16

This video may be the cutest thing you'll ever see.

A friend asked me the other day what I would wish for my daughter, if I could only have one wish.

My mind raced as I contemplated the options. I would wish for a good education. I would wish for her to know, undoubtedly, that she is loved beyond compare. I would wish for her to find happiness in whatever she does with her life, even if she does follow her current dream of becoming a Felix Baumgartner stunt double.

But those things are elements I already support as best I can. I give her the best education we can afford, I indulge her in every life dream and I really do try my best to show her that she is extraordinarily loved.

The one thing I can do very little about is the very one I would wish for her. It is simple. It is to have good friends.

I can do everything possible to make this happen, but, the destiny of it lies completely in the unknown future. All I can hope is that she grows up with incredible examples of friends in her life, and seeks to emulate that as she grows. I’m lucky though – incredibly lucky – because the examples of friends she has from my life, are undeniably brilliant.

Many of the friends I hold dear to me now, were in my life when I was seven. Some of my closest friends now are the ones who knew me when I was all pigtails and awkward elbows (I confess, I’m still all pigtails and awkward elbows). My closest friends are the ones who embraced my motherhood, and supported me through every tumble and trampoline jump of life. They are the ones my daughter refers to as “family”, not because I say so but, because she says “she feels it in her heart”. They have not only been with me as I’ve navigated life, but they have been with my child as she has begun to chart her own life journey.

She has wonderful friends now. They are cute, kind and have been with her for most of her young life so far, thanks to a little group of moms who have stuck together since daycare days. Her best friend is still, and probably always will be, her cousin. Even though they are not in school together now, their bond is incredibly strong.

When I look at this little pack of children my daughter is surrounded by, and squint my eyes a little, I can see elements of the girls I shared a playground with. If I un-squint my eyes, I can see them still with me, even as we have all evolved onwards to become mothers ourselves.

Barbara Nicholson says “Adults teach children in three important ways: The first is by example, the second is by example, the third is by example”.

If that is true, and I go by the living examples we have in our lives, I may just get my wish.

If you could only have one wish for your child, what would it be?

Disclaimer: The views of columnists published on Parent24 are their own and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of Parent24.