After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you."

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

"What's wrong, are you well," she asked?

My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

"I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded. "Just the two of us."

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous
about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last
wedding anniversary.

She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. "I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said,
as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting."

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat
down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at
me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I
who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation- -nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so
much that we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me inviteyou." I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.

Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: "I
paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I
could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I
love you, son."

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I LOVE YOU" and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is
more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till "some other time."
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Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their
last moments together at the airport as the daughter's
departure had been announced.

Standing near the security 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 sat. 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 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 and she lives so far away. I have challenges
ahead and 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 and 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,
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 you enough hellos to get you through the final
good-bye.
She then began to cry and walked away.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person.
An hour to appreciate them. A day to love them. And
an entire life to forget them.
Send this to the people you will never forget and
remember to send it back to the person who sent it to
you.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE!
To all my friends and loved ones,
I WISH YOU ENOUGH!
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One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid
from my class was walking home from school. His name was
Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books.

I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his
books on a Friday?
He must really be a nerd."
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game
with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my
shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of
kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his
books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the
dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the
grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this
terrible sadness in his eyes.
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as
he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear
in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys
are jerks. They really should get lives."

He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big
smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed
real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked
him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so
I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had
gone to private school before now. I would have never hung
out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way
home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a
pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my
friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more
I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends
thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge
stack of books again. I stopped him and said,
"Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with
this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me
half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle
decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that
we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a
problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for
business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the
time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for
graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up
there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great.

He was one of those guys that really found himself during
high school.
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
Boy, sometimes I was jealous.
Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous
about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said,
"Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful
one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began.
"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it
through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your
siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends. I am here
to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best
gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the
story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill
himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned
out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and
was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave
me a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved
me from doing the unspeakable." I heard the gasp go through
the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told all about his
weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling
that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize
it's depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other's
lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for God in others.
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If you read the front page story of the SF Chronicle, you
would have read about a female humpback whale who had
become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that
caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds
of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her
torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands
(outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group
for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and
determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her
was to dive in and untangle her.

A very dangerous proposition.

One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed
her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what
seemed like joyous circles.

She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time,
and nudged them, pushed gently around-she thanked them.
Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience
of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was
following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate
to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled
from the things that are binding you. No Trackbacks

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