"Hope" - original watercolor by Peggy Sullivan
"There is no tomorrow,
not yet.
Today is what we have
to live,
and learn,
and love." ...... Peggy Sullivan - Peace Poetry 2024
No matter how much you plan, plans can change. There are infinite possibilities for our future.
Tomorrow is an artificial construct for what has not yet happened. It is an expectation; but in reality, it is a mystery.
I can worry about all the things that could happen, what might go awry... the"what ifs."
What ifs are a big waste of time, unless they help me to plan and schedule, to at least try to form a tomorrow that I can expect. But then it is only an expectation. It is not reality.
I can vote, budget, diet, plan, schedule, and commit myself, but it only forms a loose structure for an expected result.
All plans can be sidelined by a snowfall, a phone call, a broken leg, or a pandemic. Once I had a lovely day planned at the art gallery only to cut my finger while cooking lunch. The bleeding wouldn't stop, so instead of the lovely day at Whatcom Art Market, I went to the walk-in clinic to have three stitches and a tetanus shot Who knew?
The only thing that is real is NOW. That is why mindfulness is so peaceful. There is less to worry about. Now I can listen to the "quietness of silence" or to intentional meditative music. I can smell essential oil of lavender heating in a diffuser or light a jasmine-scented candle. I can wrap myself in soft blankets and snuggle on pillowy-soft chairs with soft fur buddies. I can focus on art or nature in the forest and feel myself drawn in. I can enjoy the flavors of a savory stew or the texture of a smooth custard. I can focus on the people who are with me and truly listen to understand them better, not thinking so much about what I shall say. I can journal my feelings, write a poem, send an email, phone a friend. I can build memories on a walk with a friend or enjoy a game with family. These are all things I can control. I can enjoy NOW, in this moment.
This moment
is a time to embrace and not waste worrying about tomorrow.