This is:
"GOD GRANT ME
THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT
THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE,
COURAGE
TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN,
AND WISDOM ALWAYS
TO TELL THE
DIFFERENCE."
I found this prayer extremely meaningful because in the present of the book, or at least what the reader perceives as the present, Billy is in a German campground with Weary and has fallen asleep in his shoulder. Billy goes back in time and remembers this poem, which is gives hope to both him and his patients. In my opinion, Billy is unconsciously giving himself hope by travelling back in time to this moment to read over the prayer. The prayer extremely inspiring for me because there are definitely things in life that we all wish to change but unfortunately can't. To accept these things we need to face the truth, which takes courage because the truth is often difficult to accept. However, we can't always tell the difference between the things in life that we have the ability to change and can't. Billy can't change the fact that he's in a war just as I can't change the fact that as life progresses people get older and become susceptible to certain sicknesses. There are certain diseases in life that are not curable and if our loved ones are affected by them we must accept this with a lot of courage because it definitely hurts. However, I wonder, how can we be wise by concluding that something cannot be changed without losing all hope? Is it wise to lose all hope?
