A friend carries a sobriety chip.
A son keeps an old, worn watch.
A sister wears a cross.

We carry reminders. To encourage and soothe, to calm and comfort. For several weeks I've been carrying a "poem" in my pocket, a prayer really. This is not sermon. I'm not preaching, converting or condemning.

A friend gave me the prayer, and the more I read it the more I appreciate the simple language, the alliteration, and the just plain kindness. Here, an excerpt:

Keep watch with those who work,
or watch, or weep this night . . .
give rest to the weary, bless the dying,
soothe the suffering . . . shield the joyous.

Shield the joyous? See, like a good poem, that's got me thinking.

I don't presume my god is your god. Maybe nature is your higher power, or goddess, or a doorknob. What we share is that at some point in our lives, we are each weepers and workers and watchers.

Today I am thankful for thoughtful friends, and the things we carry that comfort and calm.

It's Thankful Thursday. Joy expands and contracts in direct relation to our sense of gratitude. What are you thankful for today? A person, a place, a possession? A story, a song, a poem? What makes your world expand?