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 wanted 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.Take time to live . . . ~~~_)~~~_)~~~_)~~~_)~~~_)~~~_)~~~
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Thanks for that Doll, i really needed that today. Ive not been feeling too clever and am really tired and have spent the day trying to fight the utility companies and the child benefit people for monies owed to me to pay off all the other utility demands so was feeling so stressed out and like i was ready to burst. That made me cry for the first time in a long time and got all the stress out of me. Thank you it was lovely.
Thanks Doll: I too cried and felt a wave of peace settle over me! Mostly it made me appreciate what I do have today!
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"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
Jen, Such irony that I came here already in tears over the loss of two people that have touched my life. It is here there is always something that is written to give hope, strength, compassion among other things that lifts my spirits. Alcohol/drugs had effected each of these lives. I had not cried over the first of these since learning 3 days ago. I did not cry when I read the second's obit in the local paper tonight. So many thoughts......... and to put them out of the mind I watched some movie about one of the families who lost a daughter/sister during the Columbine (CO) shootings. And then it HIT LIKE A TON OF BRICKS!!!! I sobbed....... More thoughts..... Then this...... And to each of them I say, "I wish you had enough......."
