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COVID-19 2020: A Mother's Prayer
I initially wrote this after 911, almost 20 years ago. It's so hard to believe its been that long. Now it's so relevant to the current pandemic crisis, so I thought I would run it again.
A Mother’s Prayer
September 11, 2001
By Anne Leedom
Lord, as I lay my head on my pillow tonight, what shall I pray for?
My nightly prayer for my children’s safety,
Love in my life, and good health seem wrong as my heart fills with guilt
Knowing thousands will not be able to pray tonight with their loved ones
Only echoes of heart wrenching goodbyes remain.
My prayers should be for the brave and the dead,
For the families and their losses and for the frightening times to come
Lord, what should I pray for tonight?
What shall my children’s prayers be today, Lord?
Do they pray for their parents and be grateful for all they have?
Should they know to pray for babies who will never hold their mothers again
For fathers who will never watch their children
Grow to be strong and happy adults?
Should their hearts be filled with heartbreak
So they can pray for the hearts of the world?
Lord, teach my heart a prayer filled with wisdom
A prayer to reach out to others
While cherishing what’s still mine
A prayer that will help me find peace in my world
Yet to be touched by the horrors that await.
Lord, help me to know the suffering of those who have lost
Give me the words to calm my children’s horror
As they see the world for the first time
With fear and uncertainty, pain and terror
Mommy can’t make it all better this time
My little one says as she looks in my tear stained eyes
Lord, show me the way to see the light through the darkness
Give my children hope
Help me as I read to my child and sing her to sleep
To remember what we still have
And not pass my terror on to her innocent heart
What shall I pray for tonight, Lord?
Copyright, 2020
Anne Leedom is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of www.parentingbookmark.com. She has been quoted in national print including Parents, Redbook and Nick Jr. Magazines and NPR. She contributes regularly to online publications and lives in Northern California with her two daughters. She is also the Founder of AnneLeedomPR.com, a premier agency promoting authors, coaches, speakers and others who utilize her services to expand their media platform.