The Wonder of Today

“What will today be like?”

Sitting up in bed,

Relaxed or a jungle hike?

It all remains to be said.

Thrill of thought or disparaging fear,

However minds are known,

Perhaps it’s the courage to leer,

Bringing home matters fully grown.

The wonder of today, as it persists,

Scarcely helps us grasp,

Beating hearts the fact not desists,

With meaning we can hardly clasp.

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There are a tremendous variety of days. One recent day I couldn’t understand how positively amped I was; why was I not like this the day before?

The wonder of today is a special fact. We cannot reconcile much of the time just why we feel so strong, or weak, or amped, or flat. There are some ideas but that’s about it.

Two Important Facts

Days are either positive or negative, and we all have them both.

Fact 1 – Days are paradoxical

The great day is saddened by the fact that the embedded joy must end when our head hits the pillow. The disastrous day is ended in despair, but the thought of sleep brings peace, and not unlike our ancestors of old we’re ready to ‘fall asleep’ for want of a better to-morrow.

Sleep, for the latter situation, is very much an allusion to death. We want to crucify that day that took us to the brink, and for nothing of it, but the memory, to carry forward into the next is a dear blessing.

Sleep, for the former situation, is a cruel joke, for tiredness robs us of sweet continuity. We’d run like this indefinitely if we could. Perhaps that explains much of burnout, certainly in the cases of highly functional people pushing beyond their human limits.

Fact 2 – (linked with Fact 1) Days are finite

Like life in general, the day cannot be contained.

The twenty-four hour period is shortened by the decent work day—twelve hours*; enough for anyone. Then rest comes, again. As sure as the day must start it must still end.

Whilst we rue our days they come to an end far too early. We aren’t easy to please, disposed to life most times beyond our say-so, but the whiff of life we get that’s wondrous we can’t get enough of.

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The wonder of today—despite the fact that, on average, we get twenty-five thousand-odd of them—is harshly elusive. As each dawns we have no idea whatsoever what its entirety will bring. Only the moment is known.

Still... enjoy—the best you can—the wonder of today!

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.

*Twelve hours – the total time we should set aside for all work, whether at home, at work, and commuting. Any more work than that should really be a labour of love; for instance, parenting, hobbies etc.