The Ability To Choose

God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Some things I can change:
the youthfulness of my spirit,
who my friends are,
my hair color,
my weight,
my adult experiences,
my achievements,
my character,
my reaction to someone else's use of alcohol or other drugs,
whether my eyes will shine,
my job possibilities,
what I will bequeath,
how I feel,
my ability to act on today's opportunities,
how well I will live,
whom I forgive,
how much I love,
the future.

I thank God for my growing ability to choose