Please Read...
Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at
the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security
gate, they hugged and the mother said "I love you and I wish you enough" The
daughter replied, Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your
love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom" They kissed and the
daughter left.
The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I
could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her
privacy but she welcomed me in by asking "Did you ever say goodbye to
someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me
for asking but why is this a forever goodbye?". "I am old and she lives so
far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is -- the next trip back
will be for my funeral" she said.
"When you were saying goodbye, I heard you say 'I wish you enough'. May I ask
what that means?" She began to smile "That's a wish that has been handed
down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone". She
paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she
smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the
other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain
them". Then turning toward me she shared the following as if she were
reciting it from memory --
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude right.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
She then began! to cry and walked away. They say it takes a minute to find a
special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an
entire life to forget them.
May you always have ENOUGH.
the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security
gate, they hugged and the mother said "I love you and I wish you enough" The
daughter replied, Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your
love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom" They kissed and the
daughter left.
The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I
could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her
privacy but she welcomed me in by asking "Did you ever say goodbye to
someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me
for asking but why is this a forever goodbye?". "I am old and she lives so
far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is -- the next trip back
will be for my funeral" she said.
"When you were saying goodbye, I heard you say 'I wish you enough'. May I ask
what that means?" She began to smile "That's a wish that has been handed
down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone". She
paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she
smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the
other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain
them". Then turning toward me she shared the following as if she were
reciting it from memory --
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude right.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
She then began! to cry and walked away. They say it takes a minute to find a
special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an
entire life to forget them.
May you always have ENOUGH.