How Much is Enough?

I recently had the good fortune of a friend sharing the following story with me via e-mail. Whether she actually had this encounter is not nearly as important as the story itself.

Recently I overheard a mother and duaghter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the flight's departure. Standing near the 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 goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

"Yes, I have. Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?"

"I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead, and the reality is that the next trip back will be for my funeral."

I had to ask, "When you were saying goodbye, I heard you say 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?"

The lady began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from generations past. My parents used to say it to everyone."

She then paused for a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail. She smiled even more when it was clear that she remembered. "When we said, 'I wish you enough', we were wanting the other 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. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even 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 goodbye."

She then began to cry, and walked away.

As I read this story, "I love you" suddenly does not seem to be enough.

Grace and peace.