desiderata

One of my most lucid childhood memories of Grandma's house was from Wingview Lane. Liz and I always stayed in the upstairs room where there were two twin beds, a book shelf at the end of the bed that contained the book The Giving Tree, among other things, and on the wall, a tapestry. The tapestry contained a verse called "Desiderata." In my later years, before Grandma moved away from Wingview Lane, I seemed to always make a point of sitting on the edge of the bed before leaving and reading all the way through both The Giving Tree and Desiderata. If you're not familiar with the book, it is by Shel Silverstein and is worth a read. If you are familiar with it, find it and read it again. The Desiderata (Latin for "desired things") is a piece of prose poetry written by Max Ehrmann, a poet and lawyer from Terre Haute, Indiana, who lived from 1872 to 1945. It goes like this:

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. § Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. § Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. § Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. § Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. § You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. § Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. § With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

In loving memory of Helen Dolores (Mauch) DeLuna
March 18, 1921 - October 18, 2007