Today is Not That Day

In a conversation I had with my father a few years ago, he asked if he’d told me about his new favorite line. He hadn’t so I asked him to share. One of his good friends had recently completed a triathlon, and along the way she saw an elderly woman holding up a sign that read:

“Someday you will not be able to do this, but today is not that day.”

“Imagine,” my dad had said, “some little old lady who used to do those marathons herself, but obviously can’t anymore, standing there with that sign. That’s awesome.” It’s a total cliche, but of course, I too, thought it was pretty awesome. But it wasn’t until I had actually really thought about those words for a few days that I understood the greatness and how they’re applied to my own life.

That said, however, my first thought when trying to apply that to my life today was, “gee, some day my kids will be able to wipe their own ass but today is most certainly not that day.” Which then of course segued into me thinking, “but hey, some day I might not even be able to wipe my own ass but thankfully, today is not that day.” But somewhere inside me I heard the wise words of my husband reminding me that life simply does not revolve around poop (even though at this stage in my life I swear it does) so I once again thought how that phrase could apply to me today. I realized the list is long, but it’s all about perspective. Everyday that list will change, but it’s solely up to me if I want to focus on the “shit” (pun intended) side of things, or if I want to instead, focus on the positive and remind myself that they’re still just little kids who need me. Because deep down I know that someday I’m going to miss being needed even if it is just for a good ass wiping. At least that’s what people seem to tell me.

Everyone walks down their own unique path in life, and those paths help define who you are. For me, if there’s one thing that my own life has taught me it’s that while today may “not be that day,” tomorrow very well could be. So while most days I feel like I’ve done nothing but cut up food into minuscule pieces, changed diapers, counted to three at least 1,047 times, ran the kids here, there and everywhere, on top of putting away the same toys over and over and over, I have to remind myself that this is my current world of greatness and I need to appreciate it for what it’s worth. The minutes may not always be that great and maybe not even some of they days; but the weeks, months and years most certainly are.

I wrote this a few years ago but recently updated it since I felt the story was still relevant and an important lesson that I often lose sight of on a daily basis. Because it’s easy to forget what actually matters and lose focus on the big picture when you’re in the thick of everyday life filled with screaming kids, to-do lists pages long and just constant pandemonium. But at the end of the day, when the kids are in bed and I’ve finally sat down for the first time, it’s imperative for my sanity that I force myself to take a deep breath and remember that today may “not be that day,” but I should always be grateful for whatever that day brought me because tomorrow, that day will be gone.