Three Wishes

Once upon a time, actually about fifteen years ago, a young girl was opening presents from her parents on her twenty-first birthday. Her mother handed her one last package and said, "When I was your age, my mother gave me this gift, now it is your turn."

As her mother and father left the room, the girl opened the box. Inside, there lay the most beautiful bottle that she had ever seen. As the girl adoringly caressed the bottle, smoke began to pour forth. As the smoke settled to the floor, a genie materialized.

"I gave your mother three wishes, now I will grant three of yours." he informed her.

The young girl thought for a long time before saying:

"My first wish is that I lead a full life. I want to love many times before finally loving the one, I want to learn many things, and someday teach those things to a daughter of my own."

"My second wish is that my parents will live to see my daughter have children of her own."

"My third wish, dear genie, is to set you free."

Touched by the selflessness of the last two wishes, the genie thanked her and promised to return in fifteen years.
The young girl graduated college and grew into a woman. After law school, she married her soul mate, and finally, at the age of thirty, she gave birth to a daughter of her own. When her daughter was six, as promised, the genie returned.

"Since you freed me all those years ago, you have earned three more wishes." he said to the woman.

The woman thought for a few moments, then she said:

"For my first wish, I ask that I live long enough to see my grandchildren have children of their own."

"Second, I wish that on her twenty-first birthday, my daughter be granted three wishes of her own."

"As for my last wish, I want to give this wish to my husband. He is a good man and always by my side. He loves me and comforts me. He protects and provides for our family. He deserves this wish."

As the woman walked from the room, smiling to herself, the genie turned to the husband.

"What is your wish?" he asked.

Without hesitation, the man answered:

"I wish that my wife was twenty-one again."