Now and again I remember that today,
That any day,
Could be my last day here on this earth in this way.
This recognition does not come out of fear,
But it does make the importance of certain things more clear.
And so in honor of that one day,
Any day,
Last day,
I hold closest prayer for this sacred and precious morning.
May I be tender and loving towards myself,
Embracing,
Forgiving,
Accepting all parts of who I am.
May I be compassionate towards others,
Even perhaps especially towards those I have difficulties with.
May I be curious and open,
Aware of all that which I do not know or cannot yet see.
And may I be patient,
As Rilke says,
Towards all that is unresolved within my heart.
May I be both soft and strong,
Fluid in my approach to the life that spins around and through me.
May I remember that all things come and go,
That life is in continual flow.
May I be grateful for all the blessings,
Large and small,
That support,
Nourish,
Uplift me.
May I seek out that which is good,
Even where it coexists with darkness.
And may I be with any darkness or heaviness that comes my way,
Holding it within the warmth and tenderness of my peaceful inner shore.
May I crack open,
Letting old walls around my heart fall away.
May I be without them for just this day.
And when I stray from these prayers,
May I be patient,
Understanding,
Compassionate,
Having myself all the same.
