A Big Month Ahead

The next six weeks contain unending activity for me. Here's a rundown: 

Tonight – book club meeting

September 29 – Taylor Swift concert

October 1 – write31days.com writing challenge (40/40 list)

October 3 – host four college students for dinner

October 4 – trapeze class (40/40 list)

October 9-11 – photo assist at a wedding in Lake of the Ozarks

October 14-18 – Cadence's fall break and a visit with friends

October 24 – all day Girl Scout activity

October 27 – ice skating lessons begin (40/40 list)

October 30 – Mat Kearney concert at The Pagaent

November 6-8 – Take the train to Kansas City and test drive a MINI Cooper (40/40 list); reconnect with friends

Sometime in the midst of all of this – start draft two of the novel

I look at this list and think a few things: complete overwhelm! I'm going to be exhausted! I'm so excited I can't wait for each one of these fun things! I'm going to need a nap, pronto!

And then I think of my nephews on the weekend of my grandmother's funeral and the MIZZOU football game. They joined Cadence and I in the breakfast room at the hotel. They were excited and discussing things with their dad before they made it to the table. I didn't hear what they said, but I heard my brother-in-law's amazing response: “There is no tomorrow. Let's only think about today.” It was his way refocusing his boys to stay in the present. There was mild impatience in the tone, but as is often the case when it's not you and your own conversation with your child, it cracked me up. I thought to myself, “There's a blog post in those words.” 

I was struck by how these two short sentences really did stop my nephews in their conversational tracks. They got it on some level. This phrase got funnier to me as my oldest nephew remembered and repeated it several times over the next day-and-a-half. It may seem like they have selective hearing, but our children really are listening to the words we say—they hear the deeper meanings, I know.

As excited and mildly overwhelmed as I am about the next weeks' fullness of activity, I keep remembering my brother-in-law's words and their truth. There is no tomorrow. Let's only think about today. Each of these activities will come in their own time. All I have is right now. Recent history has shown that I handle life far better when I concentrate only on today—the day on which I have the most influence. 

Carpe diem!