God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Over this past year, I’ve seen the grace of God guide me toward adulthood through this very prayer. When I look back, I can clearly see the presence of God.
What people tend to leave out of their descriptions of college experiences is that when you return home, your role as a daughter or son changes. I gained a sense of independence, something my parents have always encouraged, but it was tough to bring this independence back home.
As we talked it out together, I realized that this situation was just as difficult for my parents as it was for me. As we began to understand each other’s points of view, we realized that transitioning together into this new stage of life would require all our best efforts.
God gave me the serenity to accept that that my parents will always see me as their little girl; the courage to communicate my feelings and continue to grow into a responsible, independent young woman; and the wisdom to know that we are all learning as we go and that my parents do what they do because they love me.
This message is excerpted from “Changing roles with serenity, courage and wisdom” by Victoria Contreras in the September 2015 Café online magazine. Today is the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) in the United States.
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