By Bob Perks
At an airport, I overheard a father and his daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane’s departure and standing near the door she said, “Daddy, our life together had been more than enough. I wish you enough too, Daddy.” They kissed good-bye and she left. He walked over towards 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 father had alone for me.
“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.”
Turning toward me, he shared:
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 appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
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 an entire lifetime to forget them.”
