Thursday, January 20, 2005

I wish you enough..


Recently, I overheard a Mother and daughter in their last moments together
at a regional airport. They had announced her departure and standing near
the security gate, they hugged and she said to her daughter, "I love you.
I wish you enough."

She in turn said, "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 she left.

She walked over toward 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 asked.
"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," 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 for a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail,
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," she continued.
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 sob and walked away.

My friends and loved ones, I wish you ENOUGH!!! 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"



My friends and loved ones, I wish you ENOUGH

2 comments:

Tim said...

Hey Isabel-
I whole heartedly agree with the comment you left. What I don't write in my blog is the woman that I have fallen in love with and who, in the past, has loved me, asked me to get out of her life last night.

I wish you enough.

Izzy said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.