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Greg Cook
I am a long ways from being a sentamentalist but as Thanksgiving approaches and people start thinking about what they are thankful for, this article really touched me.
Inspirational speaker and author Bob Perks’ signature story, “I Wish You Enough” also exemplifies the inestimable value of this essential connection to those we care about, particularly seniors.
Perks overheard a father and daughter saying goodbye at the airport. They hugged, and the dad said, “I love you. I wish you enough.” She, in turn said, “Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy.”
After the daughter departed, the father, struggling to contain his tears, shared that this was a final farewell. Perks asked why.
“I am old and she lives much too far away. The reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral,” he said.
Perks then questioned, “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.’”
To all of you "I WISH YOU ENOUGH!"
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