Let me be a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory. Let me be a son whose wishbone will not be where the backbone should be;a son who will know thee, and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
Let me, I pray, not in the part of ease and comfort, but under stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let me try to stand up in the storm; here let me learn compassion for those who fail.
Let me be a son whose heart will be clear; whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men : one who will learn to laugh yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of sense of humor, so that I may always be serious yet never take myself too seriously. Give me humilty so that I may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of wisdom, the meekness of true strength. Then my, father, will dare to wisper. %u201C I have not lived in vain.%u201D
