This Christmas I pray for the single mother of teenagers fighting stage 4 lung cancer. This Christmas I pray for the grandchildren whose grandfather is fighting that same disease, as well as the young daughters whose (also young) father is also fighting that insideous illness. I pray for the woman whose husband died of it five years ago this Christmas. I pray for the mother having her first Christmas without her son, who took his own life last winter. I pray for the wife and mother who is trying to hold everything together with a husband stricken by brain injury. I pray for the mother whose son was miraculously spared in a terrible accident but who is grappling with the burdens of the aftermath. I pray for the extended family of that boy as well, who has been so injured in so many ways. I pray for the couple who was expecting to spend their first Chrismtas with a new baby but who had to bury that baby instead. I pray for the wife who is struggling with the meaning of love. I pray for the parents who are having to see their toddler undergo chemotherapy treatments. I pray for the son who mourns his mother every Christmas Eve. I pray for peace for them all. I pray that serenity is less elusive. I pray for wisdom, strength, and the courage to summon our better selves in the face of tragedy and challenge. I pray that we all appreciate the moments of joy we are blessed with. May God, or the Great Spirit, or the Benevolent Universe, smile upon us all.
