I wish you ENOUGH
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 good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"
"Yes, I have, " I replied. "Forgive me
for asking but why is this a forever
good-bye?
"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 good-bye, 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 bright. 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.
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