What is Enough?

In keeping with the topic of one of my earlier posts, entitled “When is Enough, Enough?“  I reprinted the final lines of a lovely true story written and witnessed by Bob Perks some years ago. It is most likely familiar to you, but I include these few sentences from the story of a father bidding his daughter farewell at an airport, because it speaks so eloquently of “enough.” Mr. Perks witnessed the farewell, and spoke to the father, whose eyes were brimming, having parted from his daughter for what he knew, because of health challenges he was facing, would be the last time:

“When you were saying goodbye 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 just 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 enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final “Goodbye.” He then began to sob and walked away.

Because this story has meant so much to me, I wanted to share it, and find some way to pass it on. Since I first posted this story, every one of my postings has closed, in some form or another, with a reminder to myself, and wishing all my readers enough. . .