Tuesday, August 11, 2009

I Wish I May, I Wish I Might, Have the Wish I Wish Tonight


Star Light Star bright,
The first star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

Do you remember this Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme from when you were a kid? Do you remember wishing on falling stars?

I do. And I still make wishes upon stars. Maybe that sounds silly, but I do.

Usually, I wish upon the first star I see nightly at Watervale as I'm walking back from watching the sunset on the beach. Later at night, I have even more opportunities because I'm always there during the annual Perseid Meteor Showers. They usually run for about a month and seem to peak when I'm sitting on the dock or the beach at Watervale. This year, they peak tonight and tomorrow and although the moon is expected to be bright in most areas, National Geographic predicts that from anywhere in the world (!) you'll be able to see 80 meteors per hour during the peak hours (late tonight into the wee hours of Wednesday morning).

Unfortunately, I'm not at Watervale tonight, but I'll still be outside laying in the grass and watching these miracles of nature. It's truly one of my favorite events of the summer. And, of course, I'll be making some wishes. I have a long list waiting for a night like tonight.

Here's a timelapse video of the Perseid Meteor Showers. Watch closely. The quick flashes of light across the screen are the meteors.



And just in case you don't remember how to make a wish upon a star, here are some helpful tips:
  1. Find the first star. As any child can tell you, it's not the brightest or best star you must wish on, it's the first one visible in the sky. Go outside at dusk and stare at the heavens. Stars appear quickly, so start your wish as soon as you see one--even if you suspect it might be a 747.
  2. Stare intently at the wishing star. There's no need to feel embarrassed. Remember, you already know how to make a wish come true. Say the magic words we all learned as children aloud: "Star light, Star bright, the first Star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight."
  3. Close your eyes tightly as soon as you're done and silently make your wish as fast as you can. You must finish making your wish before any other stars appear in the sky. When you open your eyes, look for any other stars that may have appeared. If there aren't any, your wish is in the clear.
  4. BELIEVE in your wish. When you wish upon a star, the star knows whether or not your wish is genuine. If you feel sheepish, or make a half-hearted wish, no one will hear it. Simply put, if you don't deserve your wish, it will never come true.

3 comments:

  1. The meteor shower always reminds me of my grandfather and I always miss him so at this time of year.

    May your wish be granted... ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bethany,

    Thank you for your comment and welcome to LMS!

    I hope you enjoy the meteor showers tonight and that they only bring you happy memories of your grandfather. Whatever you may wish for, I hope it comes true for you as well.

    By the way, I love your blog! Very enjoyable. I will be back. We have a lot in common with our love of politics, meteor showers, and missing our grandparents.

    Jessica

    ReplyDelete
  3. You have Vincent Truman to thank for my arrival... :o)

    I tried commenting on the John Hughes blog you wrote, but somehow, blogspot is being a pain about comments...

    Thanks for the compliment, re: my blog... much appreciated..

    ReplyDelete

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