A One Way Ticket To My Heart

Last December, my Grande Soeur and her partner Hans paid a visit to the city that never sleeps, New York. The reason for their trip? Hans was attending the NY launch of his book Utopia or Auschwitz (well done bro). Nevertheless, knowing the Big Apple very well they were intent on discovering pastures new and decided on a snowy jaunt to the Catskill Mountains.

On the way, they happened upon a little gingerbread town called Rhinebeck where Grande Soeur said she came across a pretty little shop called Paper Trails. According to her description it was filled with all things quaint and quirky. Pretty paper and labels aplenty, ribbons and threads, jewellery, glitters, imaginative gifts and more. Amongst the abundance of eye candy was a little gem that caught her eye as a stocking filler for me.

Come Christmas Day she presented me with a little gift, wrapped and tied with curling ribbon. I opened it with my eyes tightly shut (as always ... it seems to enhance the excitement). At first I wasn't sure what it was. It appeared to be a roll of tickets with a pretty red silk ribbon and a paper tag. On closer inspection I discovered it was actually a roll of 100 ticket stubs - the kind they used to give you when you went to the cinema in the old days. Each ticket had the word "WISH" imprinted upon it and a little sticker saying '100 wishes' sealed the roll neatly in place. The paper tag, dotted with hole punched stars, read:

"If I had a hundred wishes I would give them all to you"

If I could describe my feelings in two words, it would have to be 'overwhelmingly touched'. Well, being the sentimental old fool that I am I cried of course. But to be fair, even those who'd had their tear ducts removed would have shed a tear upon receiving such a gift. I had been having a particularly troublesome couple of months and this was just the beacon of light I needed to help renew my hope.

Thanks to Grande Soeur I am officially the owner of 100 Wishes and my first wish is to grant my beloved sister 100 wishes back!