A father of a new cadet at USMAPS (United States Military Academy Prep School) cadet candidate, (West Point Prep) shared this with our plebe-net and stated that this prayer is public domain, so I would love to share it with you.
Please remember that your sons and daughters have chosen an arduous path that will make them stronger and much more independent. This means that we have done our jobs as parents to make them strong enough to spread their wings to attempt to fly.
They are in the Army, and in a few short years they may be stationed in myriad locations around the globe. This year is the year to take "baby steps" back from our day-to-day involvement in their lives (as *difficult* as it is). Trust that they are in good hands. Trust that they are learning to make decisions on their own.
I hope you enjoy this prayer.
A PRAYER FOR MY SON
Gen. Douglas MacArthur wrote this prayer for his son. He prayed:
"Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is
weak, & brave enough to face himself when he is afraid. One who will be
proud & unbending in honest defeat, & humble & gentle in victory.
"Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds - a son
who will know Thee, who is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him,
I pray, not in the path of ease & comfort, but under the stress & spur
of difficulties & challenge.
"Here let him learn to stand up to the storm. Here let him learn
compassion for those who fail. Build me a son whose heart will be clear,
whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks
to master other men, one who will reach into the future, yet never
forget the past.
"And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of
humor so that he may always be serious but never take himself too
seriously. Give him humility so that he may always remember the
simplicity of true greatness, & an open mind of true wisdom, & the
meekness of true strength.
"Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, `I have not lived in vain.'"
