As we extinguish this flame,
Let us carry its glow into the choices ahead.
Happiness grows not from comfort,
But from connection,
From feeling valued to ourselves and others,
From enlarging our sympathies,
From embracing a life of affection and purpose.

So let this meeting not end in exhaustion,
But in a quiet triumph,
The kind that comes from showing up,
From listening deeply,
From shaping the world, however slightly,
With compassion and intent.

We go forward not alone,
But as companions in covenant,
Tending to the common good
With hope, with humor, and with heart.

Note: These chalice extinguishing words pair well with the chalice lighting “Toward Constructive Joy.”