I wish for you a troubled heart at times As woes of world and friend come close beside
And keep you sleepless.
I wish for you the thrill of knowing
Who you are,
Where you stand,
And why.
Especially why.

Not prosperity, but dreams I wish for you;
Not riches, but a sense of your own worth I wish
For you.
Not even long life, however proud we'd be to have it so.
But life that is crammed with living,
Hour by hour.
And love I wish for you;
May you give it frequently.
I wish for you solitude in the midst of company,
And a mind full of company within your quiet times.
Full todays I wish for you, and full tomorrows.

By Charles S Stephen, Jr

Charles Stephen was an influential figure in my life who was a politically active Unitarian Minister, thinker, public speaker, poet, author, a reader who reviewed books for public radio and newspapers, and my wife's grandfather.