Attitude Adjustment in 3... 2...

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and widsom to know the difference.

That, for those not in the know, is "The Serenity Prayer". And, yes I know I spelled wisdom wrong. It's an inside joke for the sisters.

My first experience with it was when Dad joined AA. He had it in his wallet, he had it engraved in lucite, he had it memorized. He clung to it. It was his lifeline and his salvation.

I heard him refer to it often in the 11 years of sobriety he attained before he died. Which one is it Blondie, he would ask, do we change it or accept it? Change it, I would reply, no matter what. That was my answer. Even the color of the sky? Of course. He would laugh and say no, it wasn't possible. I'd tell him to put on a pair of sunglasses - sky color changed. Suck on that Big Jim!

My most vivid memory of the prayer is saying it over his casket at his funeral. Mom asked if anyone wanted to speak and, me being me, said yes. What I was going to say, well I wasn't sure about that. As I stood at the podium on that cold March morning, in front of family and friends, it seemed so right; so appropriate. I remember asking all present to say it with me, if they knew it.

I remember my aunt, Marie, not knowing the prayer. She scolded me after for not telling her about it so she could learn it. Sorry, Marie! I remember another aunt, Mary, scolding me for using the "alcoholics" prayer as she called it. Her I ignored since well, she annoyed me. It was important to Dad and if his sister couldn't see that, arguing with her wasn't going to change her mind. Nothing ever did.

I have no physical copy of the poem these days but it's written on my soul. It's my personal attitude adjustment. See I'm an optimist, well really more of a realist with a positive attitude. I don't wish for things to get better. If I'm unhappy with something, I change it. If I can't change it, I deal with it. If I can't deal with it - well, let's just say I haven't run up against anything I can't deal with. Yet.

I forget every so often that I have an amazing life. I certainly don't have everything, not even close. But I have what matters: family, friends, and work (both professional and volunteer). What else do you need. Oh, right.

The widsom to know the difference.