General McArthur's prayers for his son

Build me a son, O Lord,
Who will be strong enough to know when he is weak,
And brave enough to face himself when he is afraid;
One who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
And humble and gentle in Vicente.

Build me a son
Whose wishes will not take the place of deeds;
A son who will know thee... and that
To know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray,
Not in the path of tables and comfort,
But under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.
Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm;
Here let him learn compassion for those that 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 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,
Yet never take himself too seriously.

Give him humility,
So that he may always remember
The simplicity of true greatness,
The open mind of true wisdom
And the meekness of true strength.

Then, I, his father, will dare
Whisper, "I have not lived in vain .'"

-- General Douglas MacArthur