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. Send this to the people
you will never forget and remember to send it back to
the person who sent it to you. If you don't send it to
anyone it may mean that you are in such a hurry that
you have forgotten your friends.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE.....

To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH!!!