My Earnest Christmas Wish

Right from my childhood, I have always known Christmas as a season of love and kindness. These values were often expressed through exchange of gifts between people. Maybe my perception of Christmas was partially influenced by the magical Disney movies I watched as a child, but I also believed the season was one where we could make our wildest wishes and somehow have them come true.

Now that I am older, I understand the meaning of the popular quote, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” I realize that if wishes were easily granted, even the least privileged would have all their needs in abundance, and one would have to beg on the streets. This is one of the sour realizations that come with growing up. The fairytale lens through which we once viewed life eventually shatters, and we begin to see life for what it truly is.

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Last month, I had just one wish to end the year with. I wanted a new mobile device with a better camera. Right now, I have been able to plan for it, and I am confident that I will get it before the first week of January 2026. Interestingly, almost immediately after I figured out the purchase of the new phone, another wish came to mind, one I now deeply hope will be granted. This endless cycle explains the the nature of adulthood. One clock stops ticking today and another begins tomorrow. Still, this does not stop me from wishing wholeheartedly, even when I know how difficult it can be for wishes to come true.

This Christmas, I imagine Santa arriving with more than physical gifts. I imagine him visiting my home with a magic wand on his sleigh, and when he waves it in front of my door, it produces a letter of admission into a professional health course I deeply hope to study at the university. By the time I wake up in the morning, that letter would be the first gift I see. It would be an assurance that my wish has already been granted, and that by next year, I would be admitted to study that course.

If I could truly wish for just one thing this Christmas, it would be for this to come true. It may not make sense to some people, especially those who already know that I am a graduate, but it means the world to me. Gaining clarity about your next step and how the next five years of your life should go, is a rare luxury these days. But now, I have that clarity. I understand why I want to return to school, and I have a clear five to seven year plan that I'll follow once I gain the admission I seek.

This wish matters so much to me because I feel I spent the past five years studying something that was not my true calling. I want to reclaim my life by pursuing what truly aligns with my purpose and serves a deeper meaning for me.

This is my earnest and only Christmas wish this season, and I hope Santa somehow reads it and makes it come true.