My Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
like my droopy eyelids that always make my eyes looks closed when I smile, and the fact that I cannot stay awake for an entire DVD movie.
courage to change the things I can;
like allowing my son to mix play-doh colours even though every fiber in my being screams when I see him squishing them together and I have to resist the urge to yank the glob of doh out of his hands and separate it back into its original colours.
and wisdom to know the difference...especially when my husband points out that it doesn't have to be that way.

Living one day at a time;
but meal planning one week at a time, so I don't have to run to the store every day.
Enjoying one moment at a time;
because when the boys are grown I will miss the days of sitting together reading the same book over and over again...(even though I will probably still have the words memorized)
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,
and a necessary part of parenting, (which rarely involves peace, even in the bathroom);
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
and sometimes rotten children
as it is, not as I would have it;
not forcing my neuroses on my family, but allowing them to enjoy life
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
(which is so hard for a stubborn person such as myself to do)
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
so long as my bra and panties always match,
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next,
when none of my compulsions will matter.
Amen.

-Reinhold Niebuhr and Tanya