Golden Memories

Let me do my work each day with joy and hope; and if dark hours or despair overtake me, may I not forget the strength that comforted me in the desolation of other times. May I still remember the bright hours which found me walking over the silent hills of my childhood, or dreaming on the edge of a quiet river when a light glowed within me, as I promised God I'd have courage amid the tempests of the changing years.

Spare me from the bitterness and the sharp passions of unguarded moments. May I not forget that both poverty and riches are of the spirit.

Lift my eyes from the earth, that I may see the grandeur of the stars. Let me not judge others, lest I condemn myself. Let me not follow the clamour of the world, but walk calmly in my own path. Give me a few friends who will love me for what I am, and keep ever burning before my vagrant steps the kindly light of faith.

And though age and infirmity overtake me, and I come not within reach of the goal of my dreams, teach me still to be thankful for life, and for time's golden memories that are good and sweet. And may the evening's twilight find me gentle still.