“I wish you enough”
Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last
moments together at the airport as the daughter’s departure had been announced.
Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said: “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 sat. 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, 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. And an entire life to forget them.
Written by Bob Perks