June Cotner - Serenity Prayers: Prayers, Poems, and Prose to Soothe Your Soul

One
S ERENITYTwo
F AITHThree
C OURAGE AND H OPEFour
R ELAXATIONFive
R EFLECTIONSSix
J OY AND G RATITUDESeven
P RAYERSEight
I NSPIRATION The idea for Serenity Prayers came about when I was talking with my friend Anna Johnson about my prayers and blessings books.

Anna was feeling particularly frazzled and said, I could use something called Serenity Prayers right now! Thank you, Anna! Here it is. I was excited about the possibility of creating a book in which the selections would actually help us feel more serene and at peace within ourselves and our circumstances. I sent out a call for submissions to my seven hundred-plus regular contributors and placed an ad in Poets and Writers. Initially, I considered more than three thousand submissions for Serenity Prayers and found many other possible selections from my extensive library of inspiring books. I narrowed down my favorites to two hundred selections. I knew that the final book would contain a little over one hundred selections; truly, I had a good problemtoo many great selections! My deepest thanks go to the contributing poets to my anthologies. Without you, my books wouldnt be possible.

I wish there were room to include all of your excellent pieces! The living writers who submitted for this book, as well as the writers who are no longer with us, all leave an indelible trace of wonder, beauty, and poignancy in our world. They are the souls who are gifted with the ability to translate spiritual experiences into a language that speaks to everyone. As an anthologist, Im grateful to be their conduit, bringing their words to the printed page. In my daily life I still find myself in awe of the synchronicity that brings me to possible selections for my books, whether its an obscure poem in a vintage book given to me by my cousin Margie or something I simply stumble upon. For example, the quote by Mitch Albom on page 7 appeared on a plaque commemorating the life of a hiker, at the top of a peak in the Olympic Mountains. The poem by Matthew Arnold on page 58 is something Ive kept since my college yearsand here it is, forty years later, appearing in one of my collections.

I feel especially blessed by the joys of my family: my husband, Jim Graves; my daughter, Kirsten Casey; my son, Kyle Myrvang; and dear relatives in my extended family, who all support me in myriad ways. My heartfelt gratitude goes to my dedicated agent, Denise Marcil; her associate, Jennie Dunham; my editor, Patty Rice, and all the folks at Andrews McMeel who worked on Serenity Prayers. And finally, Im grateful to God for bringing talented writers, wonderful friends and family, and countless blessings to my life.

God grant me the serenityto accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. I have frequently turned to The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr throughout my life. Its one of the most revered messages of our time and has touched countless lives. Many circumstances in modern life affect our sense of peace and contentmentstressful jobs, relationship difficulties, day-to-day worries, and a sense of feeling overwhelmed with the hyperspeed demands of life. In Serenity Prayers, Ive offered helpful thoughts, perspectives, and insights that encourage us to create more peace, joy, and tranquillity in our lives.

The pathway to serenity most often includes strong faith, which keeps us calm even in the midst of excitement, adversity, or danger. Our faith leads us toward courage to endeavor to overcome our difficulties while continuing to believe in the goodness and great meaning of life. Before including a passage in Serenity Prayers, I asked myself, Does this selection make me feel more serene, open doors to faith and courage, offer a needed perspective, or help me feel more joy and gratitude? In Serenity Prayers, the voices of classic visionaries such as Rumi, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman mingle with fresh thoughts of contemporary writers such as Mitch Albom and Barbara Crooker. Finding new ways to feel tranquil gives us more compassion, contentment, and appreciation for our blessings. The Serenity Prayer encourages us to accept the things we cannot change and to muster the courage to change the things we can. May the selections in Serenity Prayers provide the encouragement and inspiration you need to practice the profound thoughts in Reinhold Niebuhrs deeply moving prayer.