Don't Worry About a Day you Have Not Made

I know several people who recently received a cancer diagnosis. One of them is a friend here in Lisbon. There has been a waiting game as she undergoes a battery of tests so doctors can put the whole picture together and come up with a prognosis. 

The cancer is in the early stages, so the prognosis looks good, but the course of treatment is still unknown.

We all know how in these times, a minute of waiting can feel like an hour, and days can feel like weeks. There is a pervasive sense of not knowing, of fear and worry. It's all understandable. Only the most enlightened of us would be able to stay fully present at times like this. 

I went for a walk on a beautiful sunny day in Lisbon with my friend to a local park. We sat on the bench in the leafy shade. I asked her how she was coping. "Well," she said.. "today is Monday, and so I'm doing Monday things… I'll do Tuesday things tomorrow."

I was intrigued.  

But our conversation was interrupted by raucous squawking from above. We looked up to see several perturbed green parakeets hovering about. We walked closer to the tree and noticed the source of their discomfort- a red squirrel! Squirrels died out in Portugal in the late 16th century but are slowly making a comeback, so we were excited to see one, our first in Lisbon! Eventually, the squirrel leaped to another tree, and the excitement was over. The parakeets calmed down.

With peace restored, my friend continued, "You don't have to worry about a day you have not made. So there's no point worrying about what will happen on Tuesday or Wednesday if today is Monday. So I do Mondays things on Monday. I can't do anything about Tuesday yet."

It's a sensible way of looking at things; like most powerful truths, it is simple but not simplistic. 

"You don't have to worry about a day you have not made."

Reminding yourself of this can help you keep anchored in the present moment. It doesn't mean emotions of fear or anxiety go away, but you don't have to get carried away with them. 

I like this approach. It can certainly be applied to any situation we worry about. As human beings, we tend to be uneasy with the unknown. We want to figure out and known so we see where we fit in and how we can remain safe and comfortable. 

Unfortunately, life is not and has never been like that. Many people live in constant insecurity day in and day out. And those of us lucky to have a safety net and basic creature comforts have been somewhat insulated from the unpredictability of life, but unpredictable it is. 

I am reminded of a favorite quote a friend paraphrased from the Bible: 

"The day is not given." 

It isn't. 

This caution dovetails nicely with my friend's approach. If the day is not given, and we have no idea what tomorrow will bring, all we really have is today. There's nothing wrong with spending some time planning or thinking ahead for tomorrow. 

 Still, we need to stay here and be fully present in the day that is given, so we don't miss out on what it might bring, possibly even a rare red squirrel.