I Wish You Enough

A story that was sent to me goes as follows:

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 goodbye?"

"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 goodbye, 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 quietly walked away.

A wish for us all; not too much, not too little, but just enough.

Comments

[Sue K]

"Enough" is many times about "expectations". What is enough? A 5 bedroom house with a 3 car garage or a clean simple small abode? Globally we are being required to change our expectations of "enough". Literally, enough would not be living beyond my 1 person unit carbon footprint. Spiritually, enough is a lack of suffering and abundance is joy.

Yesterday on "Oprah" they showed the new "tent cities" that are appearing across the US as people are forced out of their homes. I think it gave many pause to consider what enough means.

Although change is hard for many, I believe many good things will come from these dire circumstances. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.."

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May Austrailia rise from the ashes with the outpouring of compassion it receives.

[Layman]

A very beautiful piece indeed. Thank you