
On this day, feed your hunger for purpose
with a hearty meal that begins
with a chopped onion, a little garlic.
Simmer until the fragrance of it
reaches everyone in the house,
summoning them to the feast.
Let your earnest desire to heal the world
find fulfillment then
in a smile across the dinner table.
Satisfy your desire for presence
by patiently receiving that long story
whose conclusion you already know.
Just for now, let your longing to serve God and humanity
find fulfillment in cleaning the kitchen when the meal
is done; send the others out to watch the moon rise.
Love the ones who share the house with you.
Let go of fretting that you were made for something more,
for some beautiful future
you’ve been chasing after all your life.
Bless these moments when your purpose is clear.
Know each one for what it is:
the beginning and end of time.
Accept the invitation to enter there into the heart of God,
realizing at last that this blessing of each minute
will fill your day with grace.
Understand that a life of meaning begins
not with climbing a mountain before breakfast,
but with stopping to make the bed.
Be content. Be blessed by your life as it is.