Like father like son.

Colton came home from the lake with Grandpa and Grandma today. We sure missed him and he "tiny-bit" missed us. Santa brought him his very own shovel. Dad's shovels are too heavy. So Santa got a smaller one for Colton. But he has been gone and hasn't had a chance to use it. We did get a dusting of new snow overnight, just enough for him to go and try it out. I don't know how much snow actually made it onto his shovel but he sure copied every movement that his daddy made. I treasure these little things. I'm saying good-bye to so many small boy things, the goodbyes come quicker and quicker as they rapidly acquire each new skill. But he still wanted his "bluey" puppy before bed. Ahhhh, good. Not so fast on everything, much to my relief. Just enough.

We're leaving for a hockey tournament tomorrow. We'll be back Wednesday or Thursday. For the coming New Year I thought I'd share with you this poem that I love. And if anyone knows the author of it I'd love to know to give him or her credit for it.

I Wish You Enough...

Recently I overheard a mother & daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure.

Standing near the security gate, they hugged & the mother said, 'I love you, & 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 & the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted & needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'

'Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?'.

'I am old, & she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead & the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said.

'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?'

She began to smile. 'That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, & she 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.' 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 no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive & everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear 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 hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

She then began to cry & 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.



Here's to wishing you all "enough" for 2009!