Josh Blue

Some of you may not know who Josh Blue is. He is a famous stand up comedian who makes fun of himself and his disability, Cerebral Palsy. I've known Josh for about 9 years now, since he was a student at The Evergreen State College. At the time, he needed my help with voice recognition software in the computer center and his dorm room. As a man with Cerebral Palsy, it is difficult for him to use his hands and arms to type, so he used his voice to write his papers through college. While at Evergreen, he started doing stand up comedy and really enjoyed it. He graduated in 2001.

Over five years later, I saw him perform in Seattle and got to spend a little time with him after the show. He won Last Comic Standing on NBC in 2007 so now my friend is 'famous.' It is much harder to reach him because his 'people' take care of most of his communication.

This week I got to see him perform both in Kirkland on Saturday and at Evergreen on Monday. I was invited to attend an alumni reception for him on Saturday before his show. My friend John and I went to the reception and I actually got some time to visit with him. I held his plate for him while we got ourselves some dinner. He was cracking me up because his use of tongs isn't any better than a keyboard, so we dropped a lot of food on the buffet table and floor. :) (As a side note, oyster shooters were served throughout the night and I finally got up the nerve to try one, or two. They aren't anything I'd want to order, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...)


Then on Monday, he came to my office to see me and I wasn't there! So, I ended up using tickets I'd purchased for someone else who couldn't go. I had a great time! Josh and I got another chance to visit after the show. He sure has matured since he was a college student - and next month he's going to be a daddy!

Enough

I got the following story via email. The message touched me and I thought it was worth repeating and sharing. So here it is:

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

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 was seated. 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 - her 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 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 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 good-bye.


Then, she 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, but an entire life to forget them.

May you always have ENOUGH!