Today Is Mine - And It's Yours Too!

An old song with a timeless message by Jerry Reed

Toasting a cold winter sunrise at Evergreen with a cup of tea. Photo by Rob.

Is your life complicated?

I’ve just found a simple mantra worth saying to myself every now and then when life feels overwhelming with its complexity. Here it is:

Today is mine.

Actually, this is the title of a song written and recorded by Jerry Reed in 1968. Although it’s 58 years old, it’s as true now as it was back then.

I decided to break the title down to extract its essence.

Today – Not tomorrow, not next year, not last month. Only today.

Is – Present tense. Rooted in this moment. Not was or will be. Just is.

Mine – This version of today that I’m living in is mine. It belongs to me. Not to politicians, telemarketers, newsmongers, or the latest guru wearing sandals and peddling an expensive online course.

No matter what happens, today is mine.

The chorus of the song has the line:

Today is mine, to do with as I will.

So, what do I will to do with this day which is all mine?

Well, this is where it gets complicated.

Of course, I have plans. The first thing on my list today is to write this blog before lunch. This is what I will to do.

But it may not happen.

There’s an old saying that if a butterfly flaps its wings in one of the few remaining forests of the Amazon, it may start a cyclone off the north coast of Western Australia. In other words, I need to keep in mind that I live in a flowing universe where everything is connected, and unexpected things can occur in this web of existence which will impact my day.

I’m not expecting a cyclone, but other unexpected things may happen on the way to my desk, or while I’m at my desk, which I didn’t will.

And what do you know? They do.

1.     Unfortunately, on the way to my desk I have the bright idea to listen to Glen Campbell’s emotive version of “Today Is Mine” on YouTube. So, instead of typing illuminating words I end up crying for several minutes (or make that half an hour). The last time I heard this song I was 22 years old, studying overseas, nearing graduation, and wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life, let alone just the rest of that day. Full of hope. Stuffed with apprehension. Crammed with other people’s expectations. These old memories flood back, making my eyes red and the tissue box empty.

2.     Rob is in his studio and calls out to me several times while I’m sniffingly grappling with the blog to come and help him change several JPG images to PNG ones. This involves watching several not very helpful video-clips until the simplest method is found. He converts them successfully and I return to my desk.

3.     I get a call from a friend (who shall remain nameless). She tells me she just won $38,000. This is very exciting (for her). Of course I’m thrilled, but when she finally hangs up I’m distracted from the writing process by dollar signs which don’t belong to me drifting across the screen of my mind.

4.     A few days ago Rob chain-sawed branches off four giant willow trees. They’re now lying on the ground and need to be dragged into a pile for burning before they start to sprout. Can I help him? Of course I can.

5.     Now it’s lunch time. I’m hungry and the blog hasn’t really started to take shape. A few random lines. A giant question mark. Several half-sentences. Tears on the keyboard. Ah, well, the zucchini soup isn’t going to heat up by itself. I head off to the kitchen.

6.     And so the day goes on and the blog slowly but surely develops, the interruptions and complications challenging me at every twist and turn to make this day mine.

But the point is that this day, all day, is still mine, because everything that happens in my day is a result of my will. Nothing can take away my will.

What I do with what happens is my will made visible.

I could have refused to cry; turned my back on Rob’s need for technical assistance; ignored the phone; snapped that it was more important for me to write than to strain ageing muscles lugging willow logs around; skipped lunch.

But I didn’t.

How I responded as the day unfolded is my will.

Everything I did, thought and felt made this day mine.

And it was a good day. A great day. A fun day. I learned a lot.

Living from the premise that each day is mine, to do with as I will, fills me with energy.

Today is mine - and it's yours too!

A little green frog at Evergreen, making the day his as well.

With love, Marlane