Serenity, Courage and Wisdom

These three words appear in the beginning of Chapter Three in Slaughterhouse-Five, in the prayer Billy mentions he had on his office. It says, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom always to tell the difference." I believe these three words represent various things going in Billy's head in this chapter and overall in the beginning of the book. Billy says that the prayer helps him stay hopeful, something that he needs as he isn't really using what the prayer claims God gave him. He cannot change the past, but he lacks serenity to deal with it. It appears to me that his "time traveling" could be like flashbacks people have when they've been traumatized. The fact that he feels uncomfortable about traveling or remembering his past, shows that he hasn't achieved a calmed and peaceful state. Shortly after mentioning this prayer, Billy says he's been going to a doctor for his emotional instability, as he's been crying and is not optimistic. Whenever Billy travels back to the War he isn't brave enough to deal with it. It could be that he is having flashbacks, but his lack of strength make him feel like he's living it over again, as the memory feels as bad as the actual situation. Even when he travels to other moments in his life after the War, he also needs more courage although it's not a bad memory. When he arrives to his optometry office and hears a siren go off, he feels very scared, as he wouldn't have been able to deal with a military conflict. Finally, the wisdom God grants people to tell the difference between what we can change and what we can't seems to be confusing Billy's thoughts. Billy could be brave enough to get over the past and be able to live peacefully, but he isn't. He goes back to his memories and lives them again, he is "unstuck in time" and is not trying to change what he can but he tries to relive what he can't. If Billy had that wisdom, he would try to improve his current life, but he is very confused and traumatized so he wishes he could have a better past. I believe that these three words, serenity, courage and wisdom, is what Billy, as the author suggests, needs to feel better and stabilize, being able to overcome his past and focus on a better future.