In recent weeks, several individuals have asked for prayers for the experience dying. This is one of two new prayers in response to those requests. It’s really a love song, which is what I hope to remember in the end: the beautiful, perhaps fleeting love that sustains and blesses.
On the Day of My Death
What will I pray for
On the day of my death?
For you, dear ones, for you…
May your heart sing
And your eyes smile.
May your griefs vanish,
And your joys soar.
Let blessings light your way,
And beauty guide your journey.
Let hope carry your days,
And wisdom lift your life.
As for me,
My journey has ended.
To those I’ve harmed, I’m sorry.
To you who’ve loved me, thank you.
To all I’ve met, bless you.
To the Source of Being,
Let me return to You in peace.
© 2017 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.
Postscript: Related prayers include: “Gather Me,” “Angel of Rest,” “Remember,” “Near the End: A Meditation” and “Things Break.”
Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo Source: Ouachita National Forest
Here’s prayer/poem that celebrates both love and loss as essential elements of our lives. This piece appears in