Wisdom of a Laguna Snow Faerie

I play one of the Snow Faeries in Laguna Beach at Christmastime, and to me there is nothing on this earth more magical or more beautiful than gazing into the face of someone, no matter what age they are, whose eyes are tightly shut as they are making a wish from their hearts for something special for themselves or the world. Sometimes it almost makes me cry -- their faces are so beautiful, and I can feel the magic that transforms the moment.

Would that my wand could really grant their wishes and my faerie dust could really make them fly. But perhaps that is one of the most amazing and truly magical things about playing the Snow Faerie -- everyone knows it is make-believe, and yet somehow it doesn’t matter.

On some level, it is as real as real can be. On some level, every wish that is made is heard and resounds through the universe and affects our world.

The whole idea of making wishes is truly magical because it lifts us all up where we belong. It lifts us up to loving and hoping and thinking of what our world can be instead of what it isn’t. It adds wish by wish to the positive energy that lifts tomorrow into something wonderful and grand instead of something petty and mundane.

Here are just a few of the wonderful wishes made by children of all ages this season:

Boy, 7: “My only wish is for my grandma to get well.”

Girl, 4: “That Mommy and Daddy will live forever.”

Two women in their 40s: “We need husbands!”

Boy, 8: “Please make me into a dragon so I can save the world.”

Boy, 10: “My wish is for God to get more astronauts so we can have more planets.”

Girl, 12: “I wish for a horse.”

Teenage girl: “I wish for everyone in the world to have a wish come true.”

And the look on everyone’s face after they have been sprinkled with faerie dust surpasses all the lights on all the Christmas trees. I am truly blessed and privileged to hold the wand that brings forth such glee and gladness. Thank you so much; the gift is all mine.

I hope all your wishes come true in the New Year ... and we never stop wishing for a better world and a better peace.

* Jessica deStefano lives in Laguna Beach.