Wish Balls

“Wish Balls I” is the hanging of one hundred paper balls made of children’s wishes.  In Japan, children play with colorful paper balls called “Kamifusen” which are very light and easily blown up from a little hole.  When I was in Chicago I interacted with lots of children through this project and my teaching.  I have loved watching the kids writing and tying wishes.  Children usually have lots of wishes. “Only one?”, “Is this going to come true?” Some kids whisper in their parent’s ear. If they can’t write, I encourage them to draw it. I have found that children also wish some of the same things adults wish for: peace, family, friends and money.  The most popular wish is “to have a dog,” and the saddest wish to me is “to live with my dad” or “to see my real mother.” I was equally touched by the child-like wishes such as “to fly in the sky,” “for Santa Claus to come,” “I want a lion and tiger,” and “all the ice-cream in the world.”