I wish you enough

Today would have been my brother Joe's 56th birthday, instead it is the second birthday that we do not have him here to celebrate the day.  

Happy Birthday Joe

I know you are with Grandmom and Grandpop, Nana and Pop-pop swapping stories and getting ready to be routing on your beloved Yankees, maybe this will be their year again.  We miss you.

For those who have read this far ... I share this story, that I'm sure you have seen many times before, but has so much more meaning when you know the story.  

I wish you Enough

At an airport I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane's departure and standing near the door, she said to her daughter, "I love you, I wish you enough." 

She 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 good-bye 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. 

Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Mom had done for me.
Recognizing that her days were limited, I took the time to tell her face to face how much she meant to me.

So I knew what this woman was experiencing.

"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, 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 for a moment and looking 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 enough good things to sustain them," she continued and 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 enough "Hello's" 

to get you through the final "Good-bye.."