Sue Carol was a movie actress who later became Alan Ladd's manager. For those of you in the younger generation who might not know, Alan Ladd became one of the most famous movie stars of the 40's and 50's. Sue is often given much credit for Alan's success because she was able to cast him into roles which fit his personality well. Sue and Alan fell in love and were married.
Before they were married, Sue wanted to give Alan a poem for his birthday, which truly expressed her deep love for him. She stopped in Kathryn's shop which was in Hollywood in the area of Sunset Blvd. and Vine, across from the NBC studios. Sue asked Kay to write a special poem for Alan, which was completed a few days later. Then they printed it up on a hand made card, with hand set type and hand ground ink to be really special for Alan. That poem was later published in If the Show Fits under the name "One Wish, Please Forward." Sue was thrilled with it and felt it truly expressed her birthday wish for Alan.
What can I wish for you today
that would in some small way impart
the love I want it to convey
to you from out my teeming heart?
What wish of mine could best insure
your happiness fresh with each morn,
what wish will make your joys endure
and all your sorrows be stillborn?
Not "May you have your heart's desire!"
for these fulfilled are flimsy stuff,
the heights to which you now aspire,
attained, are never quite enough.
It takes a broader scope than ours
to know what's ultimately best
for us. It's not within our powers
to even know what to request,
but in my heart the wish is there
so, loving you the way I do,
I'll breathe it in a skyward prayer
and let God send it on to you.