Letters to My Daughter: Wishes
Dear D, This weekend I found myself tucked in amidst people from around the world on a narrow bridge, all of us leaning over the concrete rail to catch the best glimpse possible of the world-famous Multnomah Falls. I’ve been stopping here every chance I get for years, breaking up the long drive through the Columbia Gorge to skip up the trail and stand for a few minutes near the falls, feeling the cool mist hit my face. What I had never done until this weekend’s visit was look down . Below the packed bridge, scattered over the mossy rocks covering the base of the stream, are hundreds, or even thousands, of coins. I leaned over the bridge for a while, gazing at the copper and silver discs glistening beneath the water, listening to people call to friends and family in multiple languages. And I started wondering how many of those coins represented wishes, and what people might have wished for. You and I love to make wishes together. On our walks near the corner field, you often stop t...
