“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
[S]He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
Ralph Waldo Emerson
begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”
This morning, my husband, six-year-old son, Zachary, and our golden doodle went on a long hike on the Leatherstocking Trail. It was an incredibly reflective and relaxing start to the day, after what was a long and emotionally taxing week.
Coming home, I saw the Emerson quote above pinned up on our fridge. I was taken by the simple, but profound calling of it’s opening line. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
In a year where I find it a daily challenge to not raise the white flag and surrender to 2020’s overwhelming chaos, hardship, and inherent fear, the idea of trying to own the day seems overreaching somehow. It often feels like it takes all I’ve got to just endure it. Usually the eternal optimistic, what is it about this time that has been so difficult?
The answer is inherent in Emerson’s second line, “[S]He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.”
I don’t know about you, but the invasion of fret and anxiety seems to happen the moment I turn on the news, and/or begin to think about the uncertainty the imminent school year might bring.
Could this be the best day of the year? Could I be owning the day more intentionally than I am? The resounding answer is “Yes!”
It’s important to me not to bury my head in the sand and tune out what’s happening in our country and the world. At the same time, the constant barrage of so much human suffering and incredibly scary sets of circumstances outside my control, makes it difficult to know how to process all the uncertainty.
But today, is off to a good start! One of my favorite outcomes of COVID-19 has been the daily practice of family walks at sunrise. It has been a way for my husband and I to connect at the start of each day. Since adding a family dog to the mix, our sweet puppy named Snickerdoodle comes along for the ride. If my son is up and ready, he joins us as well.
This morning, I was touched when Snickerdoodle comically sat her butt down anytime I was a step or two behind. This sweet little bundle of fluff loved me so much, she didn’t want me to be left behind. Not growing up with a dog, I’ve marveled since getting her that her sole existence in life is essentially to bring the rest of us joy!
I was also inspired by the incredible growth we’ve seen in our son, who throughout the walk prided himself in being our leader. Zach would dart off ahead, pull off to the side, and sit legs crossed and arms lifted “in meditation.” Happening every 30 seconds for about 3 seconds, this was hilarious to my husband and me.
Maybe today wasn’t so bad after all…
Returning to Emerson’s charge to finish every day and be done with it could never feel more freeing, or more relevant. Thinking over the past week, there are actions big and small I regret. Some even had a deep impact on me and my feelings of self-worth. Perhaps it was a flippant email that could have been more thoughtful or a moment of weakness where my standards for healthful eating went out the window.
My tendencies to dwell on my behavior and shame myself are far from helpful, and to be honest was it really that big of a deal? Do I need to be so perfect? Am I trying to hold myself to a standard that is just not practical right now? What good does chastising myself do other than make me feel that much more miserable? What am I so afraid of?
There is wisdom in Emerson’s honest acknowledgement that “You are done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.” And his pivotal instruction to “Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day” reminds us to start each morning anew.
“Forgive yourself, too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.” Isn’t that the truth? Aren’t we the last to forgive ourselves for things we would have readily forgiven others? Let’s not be our own worst enemies.
“This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.” 2020 has been a rough year to be sure. That being said, growth is inherent in the pain. Joy is present in the uncertainty. Perhaps it takes the companionship of a new puppy to remind us, or the unfailing love of a first grader who tells you daily that “you’re the most important person [to him] in the whole entire world.”
“S[He] is rich who owns the day.” Don’t let fear or anxiety of the unknown defeat you, nor steal your joy! Warmly, Mary
“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
