Wishes of At-Risk Youth to be Planted July 10

The following wishes were written by at-risk youth and the staff who care for them at run away shelters, detentions centers and group homes. The first section are some of the wishes we will be planting July 10, at 10am, in the Crossroads Story Center Wish Planting ceremony. There are many more that were not put on the list since they were similar to others.

If you are joining us for this ceremony we will read a few of these out loud before planting them and add some of our own. If you cannot join us please take some time to send a silent wish and prayer for yourself and for these young people who need our mentoring, guidance and love to survive, flourish and make their dreams come true.

Wish Planting Ceremony July 10, 2011

I wish to be a good father when my daughter is born in March.

I want to be a successful carpenter when I get older.

No more worries.

Cherish my family...become an occupational therapist

I wish I could own a Bent car and a trillion dollars soon.

I want my kids to have abetter life than me.

To find someone who will always be there, care for me, and love me forever and never hurt me.

I wish that I could be a football or basketball (star).

I wish my life would get better.

To become a pediatrician.

I want to have $1,000,000.

My life will be everything I hope for.

I want to be the richest man on earth.

I wish to be like you.

I wish for a mother.

True love with a man, an established career in whatever God sees me in and ministry God sees in me, healing for my mother and father physically and mentally.

That I would stop cutting.

For employment.

For O......to have a good life, behave and not end up like me.

For my mother to overcome her addictions.

M & B to grow to be fabulous people.

I wish I could have all the homeless cats off the streets.

That one day I can forgive all the people that hurt me and will hurt me.

That there was a dad and he wasn’t always rude and I would be discharged to him.

Street Race.

Dog.

Go home for good.

To find the strength in myself to do what I want to do most...to finish what I start.

Become Male Super Model of the World!

For someone to love me through all the hard times and all the fights we will have.

To see my grandpa again after he died and my hope is to see him again for one more day and him to be my guardian angel.

I wish my mommy be okay and everyone and everything be okay.

My family to prosper.

I dream about a world where I’m perfect. I wish to be a mermaid (never seen, never heard.)

I wish with all my heart I would make something out of myself.

Me and my aunt to get along.

I wish all the people I know who passed away, including my dad, would come back to life again.

My wish is for A..... to have a happy healthy life filled with the richness of friends and family and to always follow her passion.

For all these young ladies to live as leaders in their adult life.

I wish I can be a rapper. I dream to be a nurse someday.

To volunteer more, to help homeless people.

To go to college and have a prosperous and successful life.

I wish for my sister to realize that I love her and I don’t wanna lose her. I want my sister back.

To have a family I can trust...

I won’t be lonely anymore.

To go far with my music.

All children young and old to get loved and nurtured.

To be a positive force to help others achieve their dreams.

To be a great famous singer.

Pass my GED.

To get the apartment I want and grow and learn and be creative there.

God, please guide me through this life of mine and please save a place for me in Heaven above.

To be happy, successful, and married. Just want to have a good life. Prove people wrong.



Wish Planting Ceremony September 22, 2007

These are all the wishes and dreams from young people since 1997. Some are descriptions of themselves and others are things they wish to keep safe or what is sacred to them.


I am special because I am smart and funny and I am patient, kind, and caring.

My wish is to lose 35 pounds between now and August.

Loyalty

I want to keep my respect.

Spiritual

I need to get off probation.

Sky Dive

Have a relationship with my stepdad.

To become a famous model.

Communication and trust.

I wish that I can make something great out of myself and be able to make the right decisions.

I would like to be successful at being myself and to beloved for who I am.

I wish to be a successful actress and never get in trouble again.

I wish I can meet my real father.

I am special because I love those who don't love.

I wish I could home for Christmas.

Keep my kids safe and healthy.

A Musician.

My dignity.

Some money.

To go home.

I wish to go home and live with my mom again within the next 4 months.

Personality.

To succeed, not fail.

I wish to be a millionaire.

For my mom to be alive again.

Have a boyfriend.

Be real. Get rid of all the haters. Grow up, go to college. Get a good job. Be successful. Be true. Find a true and faithful man.

Love, joy, truth, to be with Nesha 4ever.

To be successful at whatever I am doing.

To conquer my eating disorder.

I never want to get caught when I run.

I wish I could be home with my mom and control my behavior and be happy.

I wish that my brother was still alive.

Zest for life.

I am special because I really see what is good in others.

I am special because I have 2 eyes, 2 thumbs, 8 fingers, 10 toes, and two ears.

Get breast implants.

I would keep my beliefs and my dignity.

I am special because I am beautiful.

Get a job.

I am special because I have lots and lots of talents and I'm respectful and I like cheering people up and I look good.

I am special because I am different.

I wish I can be on my own.

All I can say is I want people to see my inner beauty and my fine hearted soul. I didn't want them to see my other side and say that person is bad and poorly presented.

I would like to start a business.

Honesty.

I'm special because I am a unique intelligent individual that wants the best for myself and has a lot to offer the world around me.

Family.

Privacy.

My memories.

My life.

To please my father in every possible way so we can be happy.

My baby.

I wish I live long and forever.

Determination and willpower.

Sense of myself.

I wish I could get a good education and graduation, get married and have kids.

Robert Craig RIP. I will never forget, I will always love him.

My mind.

The memory of my grandmother.

Me and my family to lead healthy lives.

Pride.

To be able to talk to each other and to still be close. How we used to be in a different kind of way. With more understanding.

I wish to live wealthy and my family to stay safe.

I wish my grandma could come back soon.

Help me stay away from my mom and let me stay on my own.

Innocense.

My son.

I want to keep all my trust and wisdom safe.

Mother and son.

My dads ring, my mom's love, my sister's love, my family's love.

Sex.

My dream is undreambale so I won't say.

My heart and virtue.

Humbleness, life and relationship

My wish is that I find peace and happiness.

I wish I could have a little girl, but after I get married.

I want people to see a mature Christian.

I hope that my life will help others in need.

All of my 100% heart and soul. Always keep a little bit so if your relationship ever ends you won't get hurt so bad.

I wish and dream that one I could become a singer and become famous.

Generous, caring, but strong.

Guidance from the master builder.

Sacrifice nothing.

Wish my dad will become a better dad. I hope I will fix my relationship with my mom. I want to finish college.

I hope I will get out of Hopevale and stay out of here and someday become rich and famous.

My real mom and dad.

100,000,000,000,000

I wish for my family to do well I life and friends.

Keep my bookies all safe and make my mom happy.

I want my grandma to live to see me turn 21.

Be happy, loved, trustworthy, healthy, good, kind, sweet.

Money, power, respect.

The one I desire most is my dad, he was my life, my world and my happiness.

My dad to get and stay healthy, and for me to live a clean and sober life

Self-esteem and money

Everything my good Savior Jesus has given- especially my family..

Quiet time an seclusion.

I want to be a happy person.

Everything.

My dream is to become a lawyer.

When I get out of here I want to stay sober and actually make something of myself.

I want people to see that I have love and I will always share and always be faithful to others.

What ever they want to think about me.

Safety and role models.

I want people to see that I am a nice person.

I wish to be a successful woman and achieve all the right goals in life.

Personal problems.

Money.

To always have the courage to tackle any obstacle that may cross my path.

My wish I to be free and to get along with others.

I want to love myself more.

I hope that someday my life will get batter for me and my life will get back on track.

To be an important figure of authority.

A racing career. Shena RIP. Old parents/life. Joe. The body we have. My brother Ben. My uncle. To see my family.

Well, I wish that one day I could c what I want to c and one day c a successful person with a man who loves me.

I want to keep sacred to see my sister and New York State.

I hope and wish and pray that my love for my boyfriend grows and grows and that we get married and have children. Also that my sister and me start to get along.

Sabrina & Brandon.

Family and more jobs.

I would like to meet the love of my life and if I already have, I want to be with him.

Love.

For God to give me for my girls.

I have a dream to become an OBGYN. To marry Ray Quan Wells and to have a large loving family of my own.

I wish my mom would just be a healthy as I am and walk good.

A better life for me and my new family to be.

I wish that I would never hate my mother.

My relationship with my sister.

My dream is to become a famous fashion designer. I wish to find my one true love.

Acceptance.

My mom's salt and pepper shakers.

I broke a vase, it was so pretty. I got in trouble. There was pieces missing!

A figurine that my mother gave me.

My ex boyfriend.

I need them to see inside of me a nice kind person, trying to make people comfortable and happy with me.. To see that they could find their soulmate that could be there with them for the rest f their life.

I wish I could see my mom again!

I wish Demario wasn't killed.

Peace.

I will want to keep my daughter.

I will not tell when I got raped.

Personal values.

My step dad.

Penis

Weed and Joint

My full feeling exmaterial

My mother, my brother jamad, Uncle Jamie and all my -all my sisters-

Polite, trustworthy, nice, honest, my virginity, no cheating.

She never told my “trust” mom that I did two crazy things. I'm willing to keep my aunt.

My dream is to touch somebody's life , even if just for a moment. I hope that one day I will have a profound impact on the way people view life.

I hope that my kids & brothers & sisters make the right choices throughout life & don't end up where I did.

Wishing Planting Ceremony July 9

Whenever I do a Crossroads residency with At-Risk Youth, our activities culminate with a celebration of their accomplishments. They each share their stories and I tell on also. Then, their wishes are collected in a round basket and we "break bread" which is usually more like pigging out on pizza or ice cream! I make the promise not to throw their dreams away when the basket becomes full, and not to burn them either. Instead, I make the promise that we will plant their wishes in the garden. We end up doing this once every year or two, usually in my garden under the prayer tree. This time we are very fortunate that the runaway shelter has offered to let us use their garden and we are opening it to the public. See below for the deatils on date, time and location.

We begin with an explanation as above and the story. We create a sacred space. Each participant will be invited to read aloud one or two of the youths' wishes and make one of their own if they would like. These slips of paper are placed in the ground and this year we are planting a perrenial on top of the wishes along with a marker of some kind. I hope you can join us and help make these wishes come true.

You are invited to the Crossroads Story Center Wish Planting Ceremony, Saturday July 9, 10am at the Compass House Runaway Shelter 370 Linwood Ave, Buffalo NY. We will honor and plant the wishes of area teens along with a new perennial for their garden. Please come help us celebrate and keep an important promise to these youth, never to let their dreams die and to help them grow.