This poem is often about grief. It is sometimes repeated with stories at funerals, airports, or when saying permanent goodbyes. We read, contemplate, and occasionally we cry. We promise to use ‘enough’ as a prayer for peace and contentment. We look to recognize all we have been given. We want to appreciate “enough” in every area of our lives. We want the same for every person that matters to us.
“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 and 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 goodbye.”
Bob Perks (1950-2023)
Recently, I considered this poem, not so much as a dirge of some notoriety, but more as a promise to banish all greed from my heart. Some say that money is the root of all evil, but currency itself is an inanimate object that has no say in good or evil.
The issues we face as a society too often begin with greed. Personally, I reject the culturalistic norm that always seeks greed by changing the spelling to M.O.R.E.
Of course, nothing is quite as simplistic as we'd like. It's not all culture-based. We are fearful of lack, so we hoard for ourselves. This becomes easier when we demonize others.
- “They are taking our jobs.”
- “They are not paying their share of taxes.”
- “They are stealing our resources in health, retirement, and housing.”
We are afraid of running out, so we grab every opportunity to play that zero-sum game: Either we take it or someone else will.
- “Maybe my resume isn’t so truthful, but that’s what it takes to get the job today.”
- “We call cheating, ‘buyer beware.’
- "We ‘straddle the line’ on the 1042 because, “Everybody does it.”
- “When we discover we were undercharged for a purchase, we announce, 'It’s up to them to make sure their prices are correct.”
Because of our worldview, we excuse others from accountability and truthfulness as well. We can’t very well point accusatory fingers when those fingers point back to us for the same activities.
We admire those who get away with fraudulently amassing fortunes. We consider them adept, clever, and creative. We want to be like the wealthy. We subscribe to a ‘whatever it takes’ theology.
Despite our longings when reading Bob’s poem, enough has become effectively undesirable. Enough has gone the way of empathy. Forget about consideration for others. Dispel the myth that compassion is a moral value. We have replaced community with “Every man for himself.” We cheer for our me-first viewpoint.
There is a new reason to shed tears when reading “I Wish You Enough.” Inside, we mourn our moral collapse even as we embrace our own greed. Sad.
As a play on words, I boldly say, “ENOUGH!” I remind myself that “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Abraham Lincoln, agreeing with Matthew 12:25)
Efforts like this take commitment. Swimming upstream takes strength. Standing firm for what is right, noble, and worthy takes character.
It takes work. I am going all in.
We walk before we run, and I'm starting today. I mentioned that Bob Perk’s poem is prayerful, so I’m going to use it just that way. Each February morning, I will read that poem slowly, methodically, and thoughtfully. I will focus on a prayer that we might find reasons to be satisfied and content. It pleads that we soon experience a fulfilling mindset that, with love, completely embraces - - - Enough.
Two last things.
- Greed is harmful to you personally. Do a Google Search for "the consequences of greed."
- As we are so focused on wealth, take a look at this 30-second (well, 40) Sandals and a Stick YouTube video.
