A Wish Is Just A Wish

That particular night, the Old Man Em Jay sat once again at his modern desk. The city outside grew quieter, and his apartment windows were ajar. The melancholy night breeze kept him company, mingling with the faint rustle of leaves and distant city sounds.

A cup of warm tea sat in its usual corner, its steam curling lazily into the air. Nearby, a newfound kitten lay on the settee, curled up against the slight chill. The cursor on his laptop had been blinking for some time, awaiting his words.

 Em Jay took a deep breath and began to type.

My dearest grandchildren,

A wish is just a wish. Or sometimes a wish becomes reality. How I wish time could be rewound. Surely, the path would be different. I would be there to cherish your coming into this world. Witnessing. Holding your beautiful hands.

Guiding you with my past for your future. Yet, a wish is just a wish. To amend the past by turning back the clock may never happen.

But I do have a wish. My last wish. Guiding you with my past for your future through this writing.

To say I am not sorry for what happened is selfish.

What I can say is, yes, I acknowledge there was a period of time when I neglected my duty as husband and father.

I paid the price. Loneliness—the kind of sentence that tormented me each passing day.

Now, as my time is getting nearer, I have no wealth to pass on to you.

No fond memories as a grandad should for you to keep.

The old man Em Jay paused, his eyes misting over as he thought of his grandchildren. The way their eyes lit up with curiosity and joy was a stark contrast to his own weary gaze.

He wanted so desperately to have been there for them more, to have been the grandfather they deserved. His heart ached with the regret of missed moments and lost opportunities.

My wish is that your lives will not inherit my mistakes. Learn from me the only thing I can teach.

Value the people around you more than those who poison you with their lips.

Cherish those you call mom, dad, brother, sister, husband, or wife. They are the true people who will save you from loneliness.

The old man Em Jay's hands trembled slightly as he typed, the emotions welling up within him. He had always found solace in writing, a way to pour out his heart when words failed him in person.

Sure enough, in this mundane world, nothing is forever. There are always moments of parting.

Yet, maybe, and only maybe, my last wish shall be fulfilled.

Although my soul will have already reached the other side, there will be some living souls here who remember me as what I am.

Not for my shortcomings, but for the acts of kindness, the stories we shared, and the love that persisted through it all.

With all my love,

Your beloved grandad;

The old man Em Jay.

He saved the document, his eyes lingering on the screen. A tear slipped down his cheek. He wasn't sure if it was for the life he had lived or the one he had missed. But there was a sense of peace in knowing he had said what needed to be said.

The old man Em Jay uploaded the document to his personal blog, a digital space where he had shared his thoughts and stories over the years.

He took a deep breath, the weight on his chest lifting slightly. He had written many things in his life, but this note, this final message, felt like his most important work.

As the city lights continued to twinkle outside, The old man Em Jay sat back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips. He had done what he could.

The rest was up to those he left behind. And with that thought, he closed his eyes, letting the quiet embrace of the evening envelop him.