Heart Knowings

I Wish You Enough

Do you get forward emails from friends and family? I’m sure you do. Most of the time I don’t bother reading them because I don’t particularly care for scrolling through hundreds of previous readers. But sometimes something about the message will capture my attention.

This passage from just one of those emails is one of those. You may have read it before because I figure it has been around the world a few times. At least if you judge by the amount of readers who received it before me:)

But the story of “I Wish You Enough” fits perfectly in with Heart Knowings. I think you will agree. If this is your first time reading, then I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It reminded me of my mother and the special bond we’ve always shared.

Enough

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 good-bye?’

‘I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead, and the reality is – her 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 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 no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear 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 hello’s to get you through the final good-bye.

Then, she 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 an entire life to forget them.

For me these words seem timeless. To all those who chance to read this:

I Wish You Enough

Blessings,

Sally

If you enjoyed this little story, you may also enjoy Poems About Mothers