What I Cannot Change…..

The serenity prayer reads:

God, grant us the…
Serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference.       ~Reinhold Niebuhr

Such simple words that have transcended time and space because they describe at their very core what we all crave.

Serenity, courage and wisdom.

My mother introduced me to the song “What I Cannot Change” by LeAnn Rimes a couple of weeks ago.  She was considering using in a group dealing with family issues and wondered what I thought.  I listened to it while driving my son to hockey and by the end of the drive, he had asked to listen to it four times in a row.  I can’t say that I’ve ever been much of a fan of Lee Ann Rhimes, but this song does resonate.  Because in my experience, family issues often find themselves tunneling their way into every aspect of my life. Sometimes those issues can’t be fixed.  Sometimes they can. Sometimes they need to be fixed and sometimes the cost of fixing doesn’t outweigh the benefit of just…letting go.

But the line between acceptance and action can be thin and it’s usually hard to tell which needs what without that trifecta so many pray for.  Serenity, courage and wisdom.

The lyrics of this song are all moving, but the lines that really hit home for me were the ones right at it’s heart:

I don’t know my father
Or my mother well enough
It seems like every time we talk
We can’t get past the little stuff

The pain is self inflicting
I know it’s not good for my health
But it’s easier to please the world
Than to please myself

I found a video on youtube that not only plays the song but also shares personal stories that were recieved from fans based on their response to this song.  The only drawback is that the stories are so compelling that it’s difficult to really listen to the song while reading them.  Maybe try watching it twice -- once while reading the stories and once with your eyes closed.  Just to hear.

Enjoy.

PS -- did you know that the serenity prayer also has an extended version?  I never knew that and it’s so beautiful!  I couldn’t resist posting it in it’s entirety.

God grant us the….
Serentity to accept the things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference
Patience for the things that take time
Appreciation for all the we have, and
Tolerance for those with different struggles
Freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways, the
Ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other and the
Strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.

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