The list was quite long. It was my friend Sam’s list of all the things he wanted to make sure he got done during the week. He was beginning to panic as he thought about getting everything done while juggling work, parenting, and life commitments. Being a single-parent meant he had to do much of it on his own. It was not going to be easy. Just getting the kids to all their sports events for the week was going to require a minor miracle. And, he had not quite figured out how he was going to pull off the overnight trip to New York later in the week that work had booked for him. And that was just at the beginning of his list. Sam looked stressed to the max, and he readily admitted he saw no end in sight. This was “just how it is.”

No doubt, life can pile up on us quickly—especially as a single parent. The demands can seem overwhelming, almost suffocating. In the crush to get things done, it is easy to lose sight of the greatest opportunity we are given: today. We get so consumed with doing tomorrow, that we fail at today. We fail to be the best mom or dad, the best cook, the best laundry folder, the best story-reader, the best homework helper, the best listener, the best brother or sister, the best son or daughter, or the best friend—right here, right now. We should forget about tomorrow and focus on today. Why? Because today, the present moment, is all we have. We should cherish it and live it to the fullest. Heck, most of the stuff we are worried about will either never happen or will work out just fine.

“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” – Matthew 6:34

Originally posted 2014-10-30 06:00:04.