Today is My Only Day

My passion in life is helping people out by conversation and understanding, no matter at what place they are in their life. The past couple of weeks I have been helping people come to a place where they either accept their past or embrace their potential future. A person who bemoans that they might have done more with their life; a person who regrets some of the things they did while in the midst of gut-wrenching grief; a person who wonders whether they will ever make something of their life; a person who worries about whether they will ultimately be happy with the choices they are making for their future. And others. I am reminded of a poem that is read out at AA meetings. It speaks to the one and only time span that is in our control:

There are two days in every week

about which we should not worry,

Two days which should be kept free

from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is "Yesterday" with its mistakes and cares,

its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.
Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.

All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed;

we cannot erase a single word we said.

Yesterday is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is "Tomorrow"

with its possible adversities, its burdens,

its large promise and poor performance.
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise,

either in splendour or behind a mask of clouds,

but it will rise.

Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow,

for it is yet unborn.

This leaves only one day, "Today",

and anyone can fight the battles of just one day.

It is only when you and I add the burden of those awful eternities,
Yesterday, and Tomorrow, that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives people mad,

it is the remorse or bitterness for something

which happened Yesterday

and the dread of what

Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, live but one day at a time

That poem never minimized for me the pain that people will go through, and do go through, regretting what happened Yesterday or worrying about Tomorrow. But, it does constantly remind me that I am only in control of what is happening at this very minute in the day called Today.

No matter the choices I have made in my life and no matter my plans for tomorrow, I can only live in this moment. I chose to live in this moment by living life one day at a time. I had a great day today but, as I am writing this, my fine day could be considered a "Yesterday". I have wonderful plans for tomorrow, but that is - obviously - "Tomorrow".

So, I chose to live this moment of "Today" by remembering you and hoping that you are enjoying this moment.