If I Had Three Wishes
As told to Summer Bacon by Steve
FOREWORD
This book was written with the help of Steve, my friend Jamie’s husband, who died in 1993.
Steve was a daddy who had three young children. He was a very wonderful man, and a great father. When he died we all felt very sad, and we missed him very much.
So, imagine my surprise when, one night in January 1996, I awakened from a dream and heard Steve’s voice saying over and over again, “If I had three wishes…if I had three wishes…”
I sat up in bed, “Steve? Is that you?”
“Yes,” he said softly. I could hear him, but I couldn’t see him.
He asked me to listen to him very carefully as he spoke.
“I want to give a gift to my family. I need your help.”
“Sure,” I said, although I was feeling very tired, “What can I do for you?”
“I have been trying to communicate with my wife and children, but they cannot see, hear or feel me,” he said, “I’d like for you to help me write a book about life after death, and about a man’s love for his family after he has died. The book will be called If I Had Three Wishes.”
Steve explained that he had been trying to reach his family for a long time, and that he longed to touch them in some way, to let them know that he was okay. He wanted to give them this story as a gift.
I listened to Steve very carefully, and wrote the words down as he told me his story. One sentence quickly led to another, and if I doubted for a moment about what would come next, I would hear Steve gently say, “Just keep writing, Summer, until you are finished. Just write the words as you hear them.”
I wrote non-stop for one hour and forty-five minutes, and when I put down my pen I had in my hands a very beautiful story. Steve then told me that he wanted me to share the story with other children and adults who were trying to understand death.
I promised Steve that I would help him. He was very glad, and told me his fourth wish was about to come true.
***
IF I HAD THREE WISHES
As told to Summer Bacon
Steve had a problem. He wasn’t alive anymore. At least not flesh and blood alive, like you are…and like his three children still were.
He certainly felt very much alive. He just didn’t have a physical body anymore …but, he did have a spirit body.
Having a spirit body wasn’t so bad, really. His spirit body was much lighter than his physical body was—and much healthier too.
Oh, he used to have a physical body, and that sure was fun…until one day when his physical body got very, very sick…and very, very weak…and his spirit body couldn’t stay there any longer.
Not having a physical body wasn’t scary…it just felt different. And, Steve could see other people who were in their spirit bodies too. They were all very nice people, like his Grandpa, whom he hadn’t seen since he was a little boy.
He had fun talking to his Grandpa again. So, Steve was very happy where he was…except for one thing.
He had three beautiful little children who still had flesh and blood, very much alive bodies, and although Steve could see them…they couldn’t see him.
His children had lots of fun in their physical bodies, and they were all very healthy, and were sure to live a long, long time. Steve was glad about that.
Steve watched the twins—Nicole and Samantha—while they played with their blocks…and he watched his son, Justin, while he played with his video games, and his race cars…and Steve loved to watch as their mother, Jamie, tucked all three of his beautiful children into bed and kissed each one goodnight.
One day, Steve realized how fast his children were growing up, and how much time had passed since he left his physical body.
“My goodness! My children haven’t seen me in more than two years!” he exclaimed, “I wish that I could do something for them. Oh…” he sighed as he paced back and forth, feeling very frustrated, “If I only had three wishes, I could give each of my children a gift.”
He looked at Nicole, who was two and a half now. Although she was a twin, she didn’t look anything like her sister to Steve, for he knew her very, very well, and she was very different from Samantha.
“Colie,” (as he liked to call her) was a little quieter, and a bit more serious than “Sammy” (as he liked to call her sister). Sometimes Colie moved a little slower than Sammy, and that made Colie mad, and she would cry.
“If I had three wishes, I’d give Colie a nice, gentle hug,” said Steve.
Then he looked at Sammy, who was also two and a half, since she was born on the same day as her sister. Sammy was very different from Colie, not only because she moved faster, and made more noise, but she also couldn’t sit still and listen like Colie could. Colie would snuggle up while Mommy would read a book, but Sammy just couldn’t sit still.
Mommy would say gently, “Sammy, why don’t you sit still and listen like your sister does?” Although Mommy didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, that made Sammy sad, and she would cry.
“If I had three wishes, I’d give Sammy a nice, big hug,” said Steve.
Then Steve watched his son Justin. Justin was eight years old already …soon to be nine. Steve thought about how much he loved Justin, and remembered all the good times they had together before Steve had to leave his physical body and live as a spirit body.
He remembered making Justin breakfast in the morning so that Mommy could sleep in. He called Justin his “little buddy,” and even though they were father and son, they were best friends too.
Steve also remembered how hard it was for Justin when he heard that his Daddy’s spirit body had left his physical body. It made Justin mad, and it made him sad, and he cried very, very hard. Since Justin couldn’t see his Daddy’s spirit body, there was nothing Steve could do to let Justin know that he was all right, and was with him all the time.
“If I had three wishes, I’d give Justin…a giant bear hug,” said Steve, who was feeling very sad now.
Steve sat down on the couch next to Jamie, who was reading a magazine and couldn’t see him. He watched his family, wondering what to do. How would his wishes ever come true?
He watched as Sammy played with blocks. She was moving so fast that the castle she was making came tumbling down around her. She began to cry. Colie went to her sister and gave her a nice big hug.
“Okay, Sammy?” she said sweetly to her sister, as she patiently helped her pick up the blocks.
When they were finished picking up the blocks, Sammy suddenly jumped up and ran to play with her dog, Sierra. Colie tried to jump up too, but she couldn’t run fast. In fact, she tripped on one of the blocks and fell and hit her knee. She began to cry. Sammy stopped in her tracks and ran over to Colie. She gave her sister a nice gentle hug.
“Okay, Colie?” she said sweetly to her sister, as she kissed Colie’s boo-boo all better.
At last, Colie and Sammy got up and began to play with Sierra. Now, because they were young, they sometimes played a little too rough with their dog. Sierra growled at the twins, and now both girls were crying. Justin, who had just finished his homework, came over to the girls and put his arms around them.
“You two okay?” he asked, “You know, you should be gentle with Sierra. Don’t pull her ears or her tail—just pet her gently, like this,” he said, showing them how to do it. The girls gently stroked Sierra who almost seemed to smile now. This made the girls happy, and they both wrapped their arms tightly around Justin and gave him a giant bear hug. He hugged them back, and they all began to giggle.
Steve smiled as he watched all of this. Jamie, who had stopped reading her magazine, smiled because she was watching them too. She set her magazine on the coffee table and went over to her children. She wrapped her long, beautiful arms around all of them and hugged them, and kissed them each on the forehead.
“You know,” she said, “I have the three most beautiful children in the world. I just watched how you all treat each other, and I am so proud of you. Colie, you are so patient and kind. Sammy, you certainly are energetic, but you are so loving to your sister. And, Justin, you are so peaceful and caring.”
Jamie suddenly grew very thoughtful.
“You know,” she said, “If Daddy were still alive, he’d sure be proud of you, too. In fact, if he could see all of the hugging going on around here, I know he’d have a great big smile on his face.” Jamie sighed as she thought about Steve, and remembered his smile. “When Daddy was alive,” she continued, “He loved you three more than anything in the world. He always had three wishes for you—that you would all grow up to be kind, loving and caring. Well, I think his wishes have already come true, don’t you?” She paused for a moment, and then smiled, “And, I think he’d want to give you each a hug for that. Come here,” she said.
Reaching out to her children, she gave a nice, gentle hug to Colie…and a nice, big hug to Sammy…and a great big bear hug to Justin.
“Those hugs are from Daddy,” she said.
Steve felt much better after that, because his wishes had come true. And, even though his family couldn’t see him, he knew that they would always feel him in each other’s hugs.
THE END
This book was written with the help of Steve, my friend Jamie’s husband, who died in 1993.
Steve was a daddy who had three young children. He was a very wonderful man, and a great father. When he died we all felt very sad, and we missed him very much.
So, imagine my surprise when, one night in January 1996, I awakened from a dream and heard Steve’s voice saying over and over again, “If I had three wishes…if I had three wishes…”
I sat up in bed, “Steve? Is that you?”
“Yes,” he said softly. I could hear him, but I couldn’t see him.
He asked me to listen to him very carefully as he spoke.
“I want to give a gift to my family. I need your help.”
“Sure,” I said, although I was feeling very tired, “What can I do for you?”
“I have been trying to communicate with my wife and children, but they cannot see, hear or feel me,” he said, “I’d like for you to help me write a book about life after death, and about a man’s love for his family after he has died. The book will be called If I Had Three Wishes.”
Steve explained that he had been trying to reach his family for a long time, and that he longed to touch them in some way, to let them know that he was okay. He wanted to give them this story as a gift.
I listened to Steve very carefully, and wrote the words down as he told me his story. One sentence quickly led to another, and if I doubted for a moment about what would come next, I would hear Steve gently say, “Just keep writing, Summer, until you are finished. Just write the words as you hear them.”
I wrote non-stop for one hour and forty-five minutes, and when I put down my pen I had in my hands a very beautiful story. Steve then told me that he wanted me to share the story with other children and adults who were trying to understand death.
I promised Steve that I would help him. He was very glad, and told me his fourth wish was about to come true.
***
IF I HAD THREE WISHES
As told to Summer Bacon
Steve had a problem. He wasn’t alive anymore. At least not flesh and blood alive, like you are…and like his three children still were.
He certainly felt very much alive. He just didn’t have a physical body anymore …but, he did have a spirit body.
Having a spirit body wasn’t so bad, really. His spirit body was much lighter than his physical body was—and much healthier too.
Oh, he used to have a physical body, and that sure was fun…until one day when his physical body got very, very sick…and very, very weak…and his spirit body couldn’t stay there any longer.
Not having a physical body wasn’t scary…it just felt different. And, Steve could see other people who were in their spirit bodies too. They were all very nice people, like his Grandpa, whom he hadn’t seen since he was a little boy.
He had fun talking to his Grandpa again. So, Steve was very happy where he was…except for one thing.
He had three beautiful little children who still had flesh and blood, very much alive bodies, and although Steve could see them…they couldn’t see him.
His children had lots of fun in their physical bodies, and they were all very healthy, and were sure to live a long, long time. Steve was glad about that.
Steve watched the twins—Nicole and Samantha—while they played with their blocks…and he watched his son, Justin, while he played with his video games, and his race cars…and Steve loved to watch as their mother, Jamie, tucked all three of his beautiful children into bed and kissed each one goodnight.
One day, Steve realized how fast his children were growing up, and how much time had passed since he left his physical body.
“My goodness! My children haven’t seen me in more than two years!” he exclaimed, “I wish that I could do something for them. Oh…” he sighed as he paced back and forth, feeling very frustrated, “If I only had three wishes, I could give each of my children a gift.”
He looked at Nicole, who was two and a half now. Although she was a twin, she didn’t look anything like her sister to Steve, for he knew her very, very well, and she was very different from Samantha.
“Colie,” (as he liked to call her) was a little quieter, and a bit more serious than “Sammy” (as he liked to call her sister). Sometimes Colie moved a little slower than Sammy, and that made Colie mad, and she would cry.
“If I had three wishes, I’d give Colie a nice, gentle hug,” said Steve.
Then he looked at Sammy, who was also two and a half, since she was born on the same day as her sister. Sammy was very different from Colie, not only because she moved faster, and made more noise, but she also couldn’t sit still and listen like Colie could. Colie would snuggle up while Mommy would read a book, but Sammy just couldn’t sit still.
Mommy would say gently, “Sammy, why don’t you sit still and listen like your sister does?” Although Mommy didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, that made Sammy sad, and she would cry.
“If I had three wishes, I’d give Sammy a nice, big hug,” said Steve.
Then Steve watched his son Justin. Justin was eight years old already …soon to be nine. Steve thought about how much he loved Justin, and remembered all the good times they had together before Steve had to leave his physical body and live as a spirit body.
He remembered making Justin breakfast in the morning so that Mommy could sleep in. He called Justin his “little buddy,” and even though they were father and son, they were best friends too.
Steve also remembered how hard it was for Justin when he heard that his Daddy’s spirit body had left his physical body. It made Justin mad, and it made him sad, and he cried very, very hard. Since Justin couldn’t see his Daddy’s spirit body, there was nothing Steve could do to let Justin know that he was all right, and was with him all the time.
“If I had three wishes, I’d give Justin…a giant bear hug,” said Steve, who was feeling very sad now.
Steve sat down on the couch next to Jamie, who was reading a magazine and couldn’t see him. He watched his family, wondering what to do. How would his wishes ever come true?
He watched as Sammy played with blocks. She was moving so fast that the castle she was making came tumbling down around her. She began to cry. Colie went to her sister and gave her a nice big hug.
“Okay, Sammy?” she said sweetly to her sister, as she patiently helped her pick up the blocks.
When they were finished picking up the blocks, Sammy suddenly jumped up and ran to play with her dog, Sierra. Colie tried to jump up too, but she couldn’t run fast. In fact, she tripped on one of the blocks and fell and hit her knee. She began to cry. Sammy stopped in her tracks and ran over to Colie. She gave her sister a nice gentle hug.
“Okay, Colie?” she said sweetly to her sister, as she kissed Colie’s boo-boo all better.
At last, Colie and Sammy got up and began to play with Sierra. Now, because they were young, they sometimes played a little too rough with their dog. Sierra growled at the twins, and now both girls were crying. Justin, who had just finished his homework, came over to the girls and put his arms around them.
“You two okay?” he asked, “You know, you should be gentle with Sierra. Don’t pull her ears or her tail—just pet her gently, like this,” he said, showing them how to do it. The girls gently stroked Sierra who almost seemed to smile now. This made the girls happy, and they both wrapped their arms tightly around Justin and gave him a giant bear hug. He hugged them back, and they all began to giggle.
Steve smiled as he watched all of this. Jamie, who had stopped reading her magazine, smiled because she was watching them too. She set her magazine on the coffee table and went over to her children. She wrapped her long, beautiful arms around all of them and hugged them, and kissed them each on the forehead.
“You know,” she said, “I have the three most beautiful children in the world. I just watched how you all treat each other, and I am so proud of you. Colie, you are so patient and kind. Sammy, you certainly are energetic, but you are so loving to your sister. And, Justin, you are so peaceful and caring.”
Jamie suddenly grew very thoughtful.
“You know,” she said, “If Daddy were still alive, he’d sure be proud of you, too. In fact, if he could see all of the hugging going on around here, I know he’d have a great big smile on his face.” Jamie sighed as she thought about Steve, and remembered his smile. “When Daddy was alive,” she continued, “He loved you three more than anything in the world. He always had three wishes for you—that you would all grow up to be kind, loving and caring. Well, I think his wishes have already come true, don’t you?” She paused for a moment, and then smiled, “And, I think he’d want to give you each a hug for that. Come here,” she said.
Reaching out to her children, she gave a nice, gentle hug to Colie…and a nice, big hug to Sammy…and a great big bear hug to Justin.
“Those hugs are from Daddy,” she said.
Steve felt much better after that, because his wishes had come true. And, even though his family couldn’t see him, he knew that they would always feel him in each other’s hugs.
THE END
