The other day a friend of mine posted one line on Facebook that I have been thinking about over the past week.
She’s kinda famous around these parts and beyond because she is a remarkable witness of resilience and love. She has a lot of wisdom in many different areas of life and she’s willing to share it with others in need. She’s a wife, mother and a dedicated teacher.
She also is battling stage-four breast cancer — but has never let that define who she is or limit what she does for her family and others.
I’ve learned a lot from this friend over the past few years by following her posts, responding in texts, and by spending a few moments here and there at the beach and home.
She’s a good friend although we never met face to face before her diagnosis and our families have not spent more than a few minutes together.
I reached out to her when she began this journey because I try to help others who are struggling with chronic illness to seek God, find strength and hope. I was delighted to find in her a woman who already had all of the above and more. So, I encourage her when I can as she always encourages me.
As you can imagine she and every other teacher in the U.S. and especially in New York is a little overwhelmed trying to get ready for the new world of education in this pandemic world we live in.
As my friend was sharing about how to navigate through all the new information and preparations, she wrote this one sentence that has stayed with me for the past week.
“I just have to do whatever I can in my own little world.”
The words jumped off the page at me and inspired me.
I thought about the truth of my friend’s words every time I felt overwhelmed by the news — violence and shootings in crowded neighborhoods, explosions in Beirut, coronavirus surges in other states, school reopening plans, and even just the day-to-day tasks of finding what I need at the store.
There’s no such thing as running into a store quickly anymore. Between sanitizing hands and wearing masks and social distancing, simple tasks have become more complicated. Thoughts about the future are a little overwhelming. Even for those of us who are more accustomed to dealing with trials and difficulty, 2020 and beyond is a little harder to bear.
The truth that I can “do whatever I can in my own little world” helps me to breathe again. This statement reminds me of another one of my favorite mantras- a slogan that was popularized and expounded in AA and Al-Anon circles:
“One day at a time.”
For people who deal with chronic illness, sometimes even one day at a time is a bit longer than we can imagine. Over the years, there have been periods of extreme stress and difficulties where I could only set myself on getting through the next few hours. But it worked because I eventually got to the end of a day and then started all over again.
Our regular struggles of a brain scan with worrisome findings, occasional seizures, and neurological deficits are magnified by the COVID insecurities. In addition, we are in the final phases of construction for the handicap accessible bathroom modifications we are doing for my daughter.
When we lost power last week, I thought I had enough. Even my daughter broke down in the stress of the heat and the darkness. Trying to get her up to the second-floor bathroom in a darkened and hot home was more than we could handle — so we left.
We stayed with a friend on the first night and the second night we spent at a hotel. We made the best of it, taking it one day at a time and celebrating our “girls’ nights” as staycations rather than relocations in the midst of a storm.
Taking life one day at a time really means living in the present moment without worrying about the future. In truth, living one day at a time is the best investment in the future because it helps to strengthen us for the days ahead.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to the crowds:
“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34)
It’s kind of a funny saying that almost seems laughable coming from the mouth of the Son of God. But it is true.
Today has enough trouble — especially in 2020.
But if we take life one day at a time and do whatever we can in our own little world to make the world a better place, I know we will get through this.
One day at a time gives us space to breathe and be grateful for the gift of life.
Despite today’s and tomorrow’s troubles, I choose to focus on the present moment.
As I write this we are beginning celebrations for my daughter’s 24th birthday. If you’d have told me 24 years ago, when I brought my last baby home from the hospital, she’d be in the hospital having brain surgery three months later, I wouldn’t have believed you.
And if you said that over the next 24 years there would be even more brain surgeries, I would have been too overwhelmed to take another step.
But instead, by taking one day at a time and doing whatever we could in our own little world, we’ve witnessed almost a quarter-century of miracles.
Rather than being overwhelmed by tomorrow, I am grateful for today.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. Reach out to a friend who’s been here before. Do what you can in your own little world to make this crazy time better and take it day by day.
I promise, you will see miracles and enjoy life — one day at a time.
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