Allison and I debated whether to post this here on the blog -- whether it was too personal, or meant only for Eli. But if this writing exercise is supposed to be a true record of this time in our lives, and of how we feel and are, then sharing this is necessary also. It's only fitting that our friends and family join us in these hopes, and add their own as well.
A Prayer for My Son
May you remember those who gave you life. May they shine through you as through a prism, their light vividly scattered in a gesture here, a feature there, an expression, this longing, that undercurrent of feeling, an instinct, an aptitude inborn. May you cherish these telltale reverberations, treasure them as gifts that tie you forever to your birth parents, across space and time and beyond all memory.
May you make peace with not knowing them. May you have compassion and understanding for their gift of you to the world. May what you carry with you of them be sufficient to your needs. May you find your way to being whole in their absence, sure in the knowledge of yourself and your place in the universe; or if you cannot, may you find it in yourself to forgive them, and us, for what is lost.
May you feel our love. May it surround you and embrace you, lift you up and hold you to the light, give you respite and refuge, guide you and assuage you. May it graft you, root and branch, into the living heart of our family. May you always be certain of it. May it sustain you, and provide an eternal home for your spirit.
May you grow strong. May you drink deeply of the air, the earth, the rain, the sun, and the magic that moves in all things. May they knit your bones and sinews, calibrate your features, charge your limbs with valor. May your eyes grow sharp and your ears keen, your mind deft, your fingers quick and able. May the strength of your body be exceeded only by the strength of your character.
May you know joy. May you believe in love, believe in loveliness, believe in belief. May wonder drive you. May wisdom stay you from recklessness, and provide a last, best defense against sorrow. May you learn what is right, and have the courage to follow it. May your friends be true.
May we, in our turn, have the wisdom to have you without possessing you; to act without expectations; to lead you without controlling you. May we be a steady bow, from which the Archer may shoot your living arrow. May Her aim be true, and may you travel swiftly and far as you fly.
May we bless you and keep you, be gracious to you, and give you peace.
Amen
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