Recently 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 no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate
the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep
your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even
the smallest of joys in life may appear 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.
TAKE TIME TO LIVE.....
To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU
ENOUGH........ |