San Francisco’s ‘Wishing Tree’ Allows People To Share Hopes and Dreams
Sabarese has converted a tree in front of her Noe Valley home into a “wishing tree,” a place where passers-by can write anonymous notes, which she encases in plastic and hangs from the branches.
In the four years since she started the tradition, the tree has been home to hundreds of wishes, mostly from kids. They range from holiday wish-list staples like a dog, to the whimsical or absurd, like a lifetime supply of cupcakes or a pooping cow. Some are darker — a child wishes “mommy and daddy didn’t fight.”
People have also used the tree to comment on current events, such as the Arab Spring uprisings and the Occupy movement. Sabarese says she has received notes written in various languages, including Spanish, Chinese, French or Greek.
“I was afraid it was going to be really hokey, but every year I embrace it a little bit more and how powerful it can be,” she said.
The wishing tree bloomed in 2011, and has since grown mostly through word of mouth.
Last holiday season, the tree hung over 500 notes, and it’s currently on track to receive even more in 2014. In a little under a week since she set up this year, the tree has already garnered around 60 submissions.
Sabarese, who is also a child therapist, said the project was inspired by the book The Wishing Year by Noelle Oxenhandler. She hopes the anonymous notes offer a way for people to vent or tell secrets they would normally never share.
“The anonymity can be the most powerful piece because it really frees you up. I’ve tried so hard in my life not to feel judged…I’m trying to get stronger in that way, but here you don’t have to worry about that,” Sabarese said.
For the first couple years, Sabarese said she was shy and embarrassed about her creation and would sneak out “like a gnome” to hang up the notes. Now she sometimes waits outside, offering lemonade and iced tea to those walking by.
She has also set up a website, blog, Facebook page, Instagram account and a hashtag (#theWT) all dedicated to the tree.
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