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Thursday, November 30, 2006

Anyway

From the Album “Zero Church”

Suzzy and Maggie Roache


From the liner notes:

“We were told that this prayer was written by Mother Theresa and inscribed on the wall of her orphanage in Calcutta. However, Sr. M. Nirmala, M.C. at the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta wrote to us and told us that she did not write this prayer. Another source said that this prayer was found by Mother Theresa’s bedside when she died, written in her own handwriting. It remains a mystery to us. This poem was given to us by Bill Bower. Its source is unknown.”

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God
It was never between you and them anyway.

6 comments:

Jon M. Richardson said...

Just a few days ago I was watching the Integrity Eucharist on DVD...

Again it haunts me for days as it did in June: "Love them anyway"

This was timely.

Thank you for sharing.

Ann said...

According to many sources it is a Hindi prayer by Om Vashishth

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

There it is ...

Thanks for sharing

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Thanks, Ann. I suppose the Roache sisters went with the mythology of Mother Theresa because it would appeal to a wider audience.

Perhaps a little someething to balance off any misperception by the title of the CD.

No matter. The poem is helpful . . . anyway.

As Billy Crystal's Jazz character would say in his raspy New Orleans voice, "Can you dig it? I knew that you would."

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

I LOVE it. Okay, so now we've got three possible authors: Mother Theresa, Om Vashishth, or Kent Keith.

My money is on "Anonymous" who, of course, is a woman.

Anyway . . .

Hiram said...

Technically speaking, this is not a prayer, but a poem. It addresses no divinity, but simply the reader.

Be that as it may, it is still wonderful wisdom to follow, and I use it as an encouragement regularly.