Recently, I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together
at the airport. The airline had announced her departure and standing near
the security gate, they hugged and he said, "I love you. I wish you enough."
She, in turn, said, "Dad, our life together has been more than enough.
Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Dad."
They kissed and she left. He walked over toward the window where I was
seated. Standing there, I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried
not to intrude on his privacy, but he 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 much too far away. I have challenges ahead, and
the reality is, the next trip back will be for my funeral," he said.
"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.'
May I ask what that means?"
He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down for many
generations within my family. My parents used to say it to everyone." He
paused for a moment, looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he
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," he continued
and then, turning toward me, he shared the following:
"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-byes'."
Then he walked away.
I think too often we expect our lives to be perfect --
taking for granted all of the "inconveniences" that come our way.
How would we
measure the joys in our life without any sorrows?
I wish you enough...