The Gift of Today

Dear Teacher,

You have today.  That is it.  Nothing else.  Only today.

Yesterday is no longer here.  Good or bad, it is gone.  Celebrate it.  Cry over it.  Do what you need to do, but it is over.  Done.  Completed.

Tomorrow is just that, it is tomorrow.  It is not here yet.  The worries of tomorrow are always a day away.  The promises of tomorrow are just out of reach.  It is the future.  Not yet.  Not here.  Not now.

You have today.

You have here.

You have now.

It is so easy to be wrapped up in what has happened (yesterday) or what will happen (tomorrow) that we forget that we have the here and now.  We have today.  

At any second, we can look around and take stock of what we have and make the best of it.  Really, all we can control is what we are experiencing in the moment.  Think about it.  That is all we can do.  Act in the here.  Act in the now.  Act today.

We can use the experiences of yesterday.  We can learn from mistakes and successes.  We can use what we have gained and accomplished.  We can withdraw from the bank of yesterday, but we cannot go back and make deposits.  We can’t be stuck in yesterday.  We have to use yesterday to make today better.

Now, we can make deposits in the bank of tomorrow.  That is certain.  We can make choices today that make tomorrow’s today better.  Don’t get me wrong.  We do need to think about that.  But it cannot be all that we do.  Tomorrow never really gets here.  We have to remember to live in today.  Today is where we always are.  

 Today is it.

Today is a gift.  It is what we have to give to the world.  It is where we live our life and strive to make a difference.  It is the now that lets us make tomorrow’s todays better and better.

It is a gift.  However, it is only what you make of it.  Will you make it something that you remember and can withdraw from in future todays?  Or will you make it a weight that weighs you down?  What it is up to you.  It is all in how you use it.  Your attitude determines so much of what today will be.  How are you thinking about today?

Today is all you have.

What are you going to do today?  What are you going to make of today?  How will you change the way you look at today?  How will you make today count?  How will you make today be something you remember tomorrow and lets you be stronger in the next today?

How will you use today to change your students’ tomorrows?

How will you teach them to use today?

How will you model today?

Today is our gift.

Let’s give our today to the world.  Let’s make it count.  Let’s use it to change ourselves, our students, and our world.  Let’s make today about making other people’s todays better.  

Are you with me?

I know I am thankful for today.  Today is mine.  I want it to count.  Will you join me in making today great?

You are awesome!  You make every today count.  I am so proud of you for that!  You are so amazing!  I believe in you.  You are making a difference.  Keep on living today and keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher