"Serenity: Courage: Wisdom"

"God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change: Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference."

Remember that prayer? My grandmother had it on a plaque on her kitchen door frame. God knows she needed it, for if there was ever a cantankerous, demanding man, it was my grandfather.

I need those three things. I need the calm serenity signifies. I need the guts to say what needs to be said. I need to be wise enough to know when my words are falling on deaf ears, or taking hold in someone's mind, and I need to be wise enough to know when to stop. It sounds like a simple prayer...a small thing...but that's a pretty tall order, when you think about it. Just the one thing...knowing when to shut up...that takes strength far beyond what I possess. I took plenty of mouth mashing for it, but I spoke my piece first. Disinterest in a subject, or lack of care about the other person...those things will silence me. Otherwise, it's hard to shut me up. Many moons ago, fear could silence me, but not since I was 20.

Serenity, courage, and wisdom. And patience, please.