Human-Animal Bond
Until one has loved an animal,
a part of one's soul remains unawakened.
~Anatole France
The serenity prayer is a tool that I've used that seems to resonate with religious and non-religious folk alike. In it's basic sense, the prayer is telling us that there are things in this world that are outside of our control. For instance, 100% of everything that has ever happened in the past is now outside of our control; nothing we can ever say or do will change what has already happened. There are things that exist that we can influence. Those things we can do something about. For all those others...it does us no good to dwell on what we cannot change nor does it behoove us to hope and petition for anything different to have happened. I've found it to be a good way to help with sleep and immediate peace of mind. Additionally, I've noticed that the meaning this prayer has to a person changes with respect to the proximity of the loss. At first, it's dismissed. Days or weeks later, upon revisiting it, they begin to see it in a different light.