“Gestalt Prayer” Fixes Everything

Stop searching now, Buddha-killers. I have the answer. I stumbled upon it while reading For Her Own Good: Two Centuries of Experts’ Advice to Women by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English. I was only looking for a few laughs and some fun anecdotes to share with my daughter, who loves hearing about the olden times. In the midst of a discussion of the Human Potential Movement and other pop movements of the 1970s, and the new “looking out for numero uno” attitude espoused therein, I discovered it. The Gestalt Prayer. I am not exaggerating when I say that everything suddenly made sense. Do your thing, and I’ll do mine, dear friends. Perhaps we’ll find each other! If not, take it easy.

I do my thing and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to
your expectations
And you are not in this world to live
up to mine.
You are you, and I am I, and if by chance
we find each other, it’s beautiful
If not, it can’t be helped.

Fritz Perls, 1969

Mary Valle lives in Baltimore and is the author of Cancer Doesn't Give a Shit About Your Stupid Attitude: Reflections on Cancer and Catholicism. She blogs on KtB as The Communicant. For more Mary, check out her blog or follow her on Twitter.