Wishes
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, he said to his daughter, "I love you.
I wish you enough."
She said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I
wish you enough, too, Daddy." They kissed good-bye and she left.
He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see that 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 Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time
to tell him face-to-face how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man 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," 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 that you possess.
I wish you enough 'Hello's' to get you through the final 'Good-bye.
He then began to sob 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."
I hope you feel moved enough to send this phrase to the people you'll never forget. It's a short
message to let them know that you'll never forget them. If you don't send it to anyone, it most
likely means you are in a hurry and that you've let other cares come before your friends. Take the
time to live!!!
My friends and loved ones, "I WISH YOU ENOUGH!"
--
The Hannis Clan
Richard, The bombhead
Lori, the Kitchen Witch
and Rachel, the too smart for her own good toddler