This is one of my prayers, whispered at any moment of the day or night. Let this be enough. I seek contentment where I am, as I am, trusting God to continue his good work. Today I was thinking about my prayer and remembered a poem I loved from the first reading, “Otherwise” by Jane Kenyon. I read “Otherwise” in a writing workshop in college and didn’t have a partner or a dog or work that I loved, but the piece spoke its simple gratitude. And today, praying Let this be enough when I leaned in to kiss my son or when my husband tilted forward to kiss my cheek or when I held my daughter and looked in her eyes: this was enough.

Otherwise

Jane Kenyon, 1947 – 1995

I got out of bed
on two strong legs.
It might have been
otherwise. I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach. It might
have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill
to the birch wood.
All morning I did
the work I love.
At noon I lay down
with my mate. It might
have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together
at a table with silver
candlesticks. It might
have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this day.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise.