My wish for you

When a loved one is diagnosed with a life threatening illness it can be frightening for the whole family, a feeling I know all too well. When that loved one is a child, the news may hit even harder. Imagine having the honor to work for an organization that has a mandate of granting wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. I can proudly say that I had this honor.

I worked for the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada – Prince Edward Island Chapter from May – August of 2009. As a part of my first co-op experience, I joined the small team at the PEI Children’s Wish Foundation, as an Events & Promotions Student Assistant, or better known as simply “Summer Student” to some.  

Sidenote: When I was asked to write a piece on “A job I once had,” I contemplated sharing a ludicrous job I had one summer at the Lucy Maud Montgomery historic site in Prince Edward Island. I had to constantly tell visitors “No, Anne is not real and she did not live here.” Following my short and usually snappy comment I would typically end up consoling many tourists as it turned out I crushed their childhood aspirations of going to the house that Anne of Green Gables “lived in”. Too bad, so sad.

My first day on the job will forever be imprinted in my mind. The employees eat lunch at a small table in the Director’s office (perhaps not something she thoroughly enjoys). As we gathered around for lunch I pulled out my freshly made (well … made that morning) tuna sandwich.  Bad idea. “I hate tuna, it smells and tastes like cat food – gross,” said my new colleague. Great way to make new friends at work. Mental note: Never bring tuna on the first day of a new job, ever.

No day at the Children’s Wish Foundation was the same, which is something I enjoyed. It was a relief from the prior repetitious summer positions I once had. From rolling pennies (not something I thoroughly enjoyed), to attending press conferences, to scooping ice cream – there was never a dull moment.

The best part of the job though? The kids. The privilege to see the immediate results of all of your hard work - granting the wish of a child. I mean, we were all kids once, right? We all had dreams of flying in a helicopter, meeting the backstreet boys (or NSYNC – whichever you preferred), going to Disney World or getting the newest techno gadget available. The job instilled passion.

My wish for you, yes YOU, is to find your own passion in your work or life. Because once you find something you’re passionate about – there is no turning back.