God, this week is so freighted with anticipation
And tinged with a hint of anxiety
As big and little kids begin or return to school,
As parents manage emotion and anxiety
Their children’s and their own.
In this week of new beginnings, of change,
Of orientation and disorientation,
guard their ears from hearing
words that might diminish them,
that rob them of their dignity,
and erode their fragile confidence.
Guard their hearts from injuries
that leave lasting scars
And unseen wounds that fester untended,
Stealing the whimsy of childhood.
Open their minds to the wonder of your world
And the beauty of their place in it.
Amen