I related in my last article about my aunt Fleetie and her daily review of obituaries. This has rubbed off on me, and I know I’m not alone. I have at least one friend who is younger than me who also does a daily obituary check.
Occasionally both my friend and I notice an obituary that “stands out”. It might be due to the picture of the deceased, or the length of the obituary (the longer, the more impressive, when the cost of printing an obituary is considered).
Just last week I read in the online version of the Knoxville News Sentinel the obituary for Todd Kyle Testerman. The following quote was reported to be one of his favorite sayings: "There are two days in a year that nothing can be done, yesterday and tomorrow. So today is the right day to believe in your abilities."
I have a lovely niece who lives in Cincinnati. “My Niece Denise!”. She has a group to whom she sends daily messages of encouragement. One of her recent transmissions displayed “The Other Serenity Prayer”, attributed to “Eleanor Brown with 2Ns”. Contrast the two serenity prayers. There is wisdom in both.
The following is the original serenity prayer I committed to memory while a child, probably because my mother had it displayed on our living room wall.

God grant me the serenity to
Accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

I always thought that was the entire serenity prayer, but I found an extended version on Google that is attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr that is expanded with the following words (Source: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/p/pastoral-care/prayers#:~:… Retrieved May 30, 2023).

. . . living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
taking this world as it is and not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

The following is the Eleanor Brownn (with 2 Ns) version.

God grant me the serenity to
stop beating myself for not doing things perfectly,
the courage to forgive myself because I’m working on doing better,
and the wisdom the know that you already love me just the way I am.
One element all these versions have in common, whether stated or implied, is the element of change. Most people do not like change. It is easy to check this. Change the menu items at the local restaurant. Close a restaurant, so that patrons have to drive across town to eat at their favorite food chain. Raise prices or taxes on practically anything. Change a child’s teacher or school bus driver. Change the color of the church’s carpet.
Several years ago I dreamed that my father returned from beyond the grave. He immediately set about changing my life back to what it was when he passed away. I awoke upset that things were about to revert to the way they used to be. In spite of ourselves, once change is accepted, as it must ultimately be, reverting to the way things used to be ironically becomes change.
The first part of the original serenity prayer I learned from Mother’s wall as a child is very relevant—“. . . accept the things I cannot change . . .” Human beings like to be in control, but the truth is—no one is in control. (That sure explains a lot of the world’s present chaos, doesn’t it?) Forces far outside our circles of influence control the opportunities and available choices that lead to our ultimate destinies.
I have a long story, but I’ll make it short. I once asked a cousin of mine what my destiny was. He replied, “Ronnie, I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care!” That seems to be the norm for most of the world—if it’s not “me or mine”, don’t bother me! Never fear—those who are wise know from the first word of the prayer the only One who truly cares in all circumstances, the One who has control over our eternal destinies.
Dear Reader, I leave you with the following thought-provoking meditations on change that I have received in my email over the past few years.

The most powerful governments on earth
can’t stop a virus from spreading…
but they say they can change the earth’s temperature
if you pay more taxes.

One of the many things no one tells you about aging
is that it is such a nice change from being young.

If an 18-year-old isn’t mature enough to own a firearm,
then maybe five-year-olds aren’t mature enough to change their gender.

I wasn’t originally going to get a brain transplant,
but then I changed my mind.

Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city,
it might be better to change the locks.

Answering machine message:
"I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call.
I am making some changes in my life.
Please leave a message after the beep.
If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes."
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.