Author's Note : This is a work of complete fiction. Gift for FuzzyYak.


I remember as a child, some glorious summer days, the skies would be filled with blue, and puffs of white would swirl around me like a winter's snow. I spent hours running around trying to catch them, but each and every one of the would narrowly escape my grasp. The small ones and even the big ones became so terribly difficult to catch. Josh had just stepped onto the porch after his noontime run. I hurried over to him as he sat down on the bench in the cover of the porch's roofing.
"Dad?" I whined to him.
"What is it?"
"Why can't I catch the snow?"
"Son, it's not snow, it's cotton. You see, the cotton is so sensitive to the any disturbances to the wind, that even the slightest change in pressure will cause it to shift in movement."
I looked at him. He looked at me. We stared at each other for a minute while I tried to digest what he had just said.
The sound of the screen door opened, and James appeared, "Lunchtime, boys."
"James, I think your son wants to know why he can't catch the cotton."
"Well, we both know why we can't." James reached down a picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

You see, inside everyone of the cotton seeds is a wish that hasn't been made yet. When you catch one and let it go, it will go up to the heavens and your wish will be granted. Now, it's really hard to catch one because what would the world be if everyone were granted as many wishes as they want? So you have to let that wish come to you. It will know when you should make the wish, when it comes that time. That cotton seed will come to you.

Just then a breeze brushed against my face. There it was, one lone cotton seed. James reached up gently and stole it from the air. He held it tightly for a quick second before he blew it back into the wind. Just like he said, the cotton soared upwards to the sky.
"Dad, what did you wish for?" I stammered.
"Sandwiches! I bet they're there in the kitchen right now."
"No, what did you really wish for."
"One day you'll know."

I never found out what he wish was. Or maybe I had, and knew all along.