My mom sent this to me tonight, and I had to share. It was very moving for me after having the chance to see my grandparents a few weeks ago. They seem to have become so old and frail in the two years that I didn’t get to see them. While I hope it was not our final goodbye, I fear it might just have been…
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Recently, an airline ticket agent overheard an elderly father and his daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, “I love you. I wish you enough.”
She in turn said, ” Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, dad.” They kissed and she left.
He walked over toward the window near the agent. Standing there the agent could see he wanted and needed to cry. The agent didn’t want to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed her in by asking, “Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?”
“Yes, I have,” she replied. Saying that brought back memories she had of expressing her love and appreciation for all her dad had done for her when he left for the most effective senior care services that were far away. Recognizing that his days were limited, she took the time to tell her dad face to face how much he meant to her. So, she knew what this man was experiencing. “Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?” she asked.
“I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead, and the reality is, the next trip back will be for my funeral”, he replied.
“When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ May I ask what that means?”, she asked.
He began to smile. “That’s a wish that has been handed down from three 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 just enough good things to sustain them,” he continued.
Turning toward the agent, 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 that you possess.”
“I wish you enough “hello’s” to get you through the final “good-bye.”
He then began to cry, and walked away.
To all of my friends, “I wish you enough.”