I Believe in Today

In a short time, unexpected, devastating tragedies seized my whole being. I lost my father and my grandpa. In this time of grief and heartbreak, I had two special people there to help me through it: my grandma and my husband.

My grandma was my faith. My husband was my strength. I’d fall apart and my grandma would help find the pieces while my husband would hold me together. This stability did not last long. Within two weeks, my shelter and what held it up, were taken away. Needless to say, I was a mess. I stayed in a muddled state of depression and grief.

Family night rolled around and I watched a movie with my children. A simple movie, made to entertain the minds of children, moved me. It contained a quote that grabbed me by my ears and mind.

“Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery. But, today is a gift. That is why we call it the present.”

It helped me to finally start seeing my surroundings in a new light. It’s a simple quote. It was spoken by a tortoise to a panda. I’ll never understand how such a simple quote captivated me as it did. I feel as though that quote saved me. The more I thought it over, the more sense it made. I was wasting precious time living in my past and worrying about my tomorrow. I was wasting all my energy with negativity and anxiety. I had forgotten that I had today. I was forgetting what a joy my children bring and how their smiles could light the darkest of days. I was forgetting how much the family I still had meant to me and how much I mean to them as well.

Too much time is spent on days we’ve lost and days we have no promise of seeing. Too much of our time is wasted. It’s time we can never get back. Today is no promise of tomorrow and it’s not yet history. It is ours to grasp. To make the best of. I believe today is truly our gift.