Wishing for Something Special

When I was growing up, chickens were always bought "whole," and there were a few favorite parts, the drumstick and the wishbone.  For a family of five, there aren't enough drumsticks, and there are fewer wishbones.

Whoever found themselves with a wishbone could do the wishbone wish with a partner.  The wishbone is that two-pronged bone in the picture.  Two of us would each hold an end of the bone, make a wish and then break it.

Whoever found him/herself holding the larger piece "would have her/his wish come true."  At least, that was the legend we were raised with.  I have no memory of what I used to wish for.

It's funny that although I've been buying whole chickens from Rami Levi (great low prices) for months, just this week, during Pesach, did I find a wishbone on my plate.  There was nobody else at home, so I couldn't share it for a wish.

Usually, I carve up the chicken well before cooking it in the oven. But for Passover, there's no meat oven, and I cook it whole in a pot on the stove.  As soon as I saw that wishbone my plate, all those childhood memories flooded my mind.