She gripped the nickle in her hand. After a few moments of deep thought, she flicked it from her palm and into the fountain. She continued to stand and stare as the coin sank in the water.

An observing man felt compelled to speak. “The wish you just made seemed pretty solemn.”

She glanced at him, then turned back to the fountain. “The deepest wishes usually are.”

“ So, what did you wish for?”

“If I told you, then it wouldn’t come true.”

“Wouldn’t it?”

She searched for a definite answer, but couldn’t find one.

He looked at the water. “The best thing to do is to make a wish, then live as if it has all ready come true.”

She scoffed. “That’s not exactly easy.”

“Not easy, no, but maybe necessary. If you spend all your time wishing for what you don’t have, you’ll miss out on the things you have that you never had to wish for.” He then stood, ready to depart. “There is no tragedy in wishing, my dear, but it is truly tragic when that is the only thing you have trained your heart to do.”