Father’s Meditation, Revised
This prayer is to be said by fathers with children who have begun their independent lives. It’s a revision to a prayer of the same name. Today I wrote the companion piece, called “Mother’s Meditation,” which I will post in the coming weeks. The two prayers follow the same overall structure and rhythm. As I wrote the new meditation, it seemed clear that some of the new phraseology in “Mother’s Meditation” belonged in this prayer and that some of the phraseology in the original version of this piece belonged in the other prayer.
This prayer, along with “Mother’s Meditation,” will appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.
Father’s Meditation
Gracious and Compassionate One,
Mother of the Universe,
Father of Life,
Source and Shelter,
Hear this prayer:
My children are Yours,
To guide and protect with Your strong hand,
To nurture and care with Your outstretched arm,
To hold and heal with Your righteous ways.
Grant them vitality and fortitude
As they build lives of their own.
Fill their days with meaning and purpose,
Joy and adventure,
Thanksgiving and peace.
Ease their burdens and relieve their struggles.
Grant them years of prosperity and serenity,
Wisdom and courage,
Gratitude and wonder.
May they enjoy the fruits of Your creation
In service to Torah and our People Israel.
Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
G-d of our ancestors,
G-d of generations.
© 2013 Alden Solovy and http://www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.
Postscript: Here’s a parent’s prayer for when for when “My Child Leaves Home.” Click here for more prayers about family. Here’s a link to the original version of this prayer.
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Photo Credit: fcaministers.com
Thanks Alden. I look forward to the day when our twins will go out on their own. For now, we are almost one month old and still in the NICU for premature issues. All is good, we just need time. Today’s prayer could be read for our upcoming discharge and it gave me great hope. I look forward to that day.
How have you been? Are you all set to vote in your first Israeli election? So exciting!
Kol Tuv, Ross
Hi Ross
So glad to hear thing are progressing with the twins. Have you seen my prayer to be said “On the Birth of a Child”? Here’s a link: http://tobendlight.com/2010/06/25/on-the-birth-of-a-child/. There are a lot of undecided voters here, but with 33 parties, that means unable to decide between two or three. That’s where I am. Which liberal party will I vote for?
B’shalom,
Alden
Nice prayer. We are all just walking each other home. (Ram Dass)
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Yes. Thanks for the reminder.