I wish you enough

   At an airport I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together.  They had announced her plane’s departure and, standing near the door, the man said to his daughter, I love you, I wish you enough.  His daughter replied, Dad, our life together has been more than enough.  Your love is all I ever needed.  I wish you enough, too, Dad.

   They kissed goodbye and the daughter left.

   The father walked 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.  Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my mother had done for me.  Recognizing that her days were limited, I had taken the time to tell her face to face how much she meant to me.  So I knew what this man was experiencing.  Forgive me for asking, I said, but why is this a forever good-bye? I asked.

   I am old and she lives much to far away.  I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her 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 from other generations.  My parents used to say it to everyone.  He paused for a moment and, 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 enough good things to sustain them, he continued, and then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he 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 you possess.

I wish you enough hello’s to get through the final good-bye.

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