In the words of Saint John XXIII,
Just for today, I will try to live for this day alone, without wishing to solve my life’s problems all at once.
Just for today, I will take great care of how I present myself: I will dress simply; I will not raise my voice; I will be polite in my manners;
I will not criticize anyone; I will not look to improve or discipline anyone other than myself.
Just for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the world to come, but also in this one.
Just for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without expecting circumstances to adapt to my wishes.
Just for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to sitting in silence and listening to God, remembering that, just as food is necessary for the life of the body, so silence and listening are necessary for the life of the soul.
Just for today, I will do a good deed and tell no one about it.
Just for today, I will do at least one thing I do not enjoy, and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure no one notices.
Just for today, I will make a plan: perhaps I will not follow it perfectly, but still I will make it. And I will guard against two evils: haste and indecision.
Just for today, I will know from the bottom of my heart, no matter how it may seem, that God cares for me like no one else in this world.
Just for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in love.
I can easily do, for twelve hours, what I would find discouraging if I thought I had to do for a lifetime.
When I heard these words read during Story Time at a local bookstore, I felt great comfort. I waited two weeks to decide whether I should buy Just for Today, and literally every morning of those 14 days I could not stop thinking about it. What if I just focused on being kind and doing what I could for just the twelve hours? I finally gave in and bought the book “for my daughter.” Incidentally, my kids love this book, but I know the truth. I needed to hear those words.
What can we do if we only have to do it for twelve hours?
With that sentiment in mind, it’s been a big month over here. The little guy turned two, and for his birthday, I weaned him, poor guy. I went away for three days, pumped and dumped milk, and then did not nurse him after I got back, giving him water, whole milk, or juice instead. Weaning meant comforting him in his tears because I am pretty certain that he would nurse indefinitely if he could.
And then, I potty trained him (“Enough is enough” was my January motto, clearly). My wonderful friend Emily sent me a book called Toilet Training in Less Than A Day and I thought, why not? The other two kids were already potty trained at two, but this one was showing some resistance. The authors of the book advocate getting your child to potty train a potty doll, and then teaching your kid to go potty just like dolly did. The process is more arduous than the authors claim, but two weeks in, the little guy usually has no more than two accidents a day, and often no accidents at all. That’s a significant change from last month, when he didn’t even want to sit on the potty. He survived going to the local protest (because oh yeah, there were some Really Big events this month). However, in a separate incident he did boink himself on a bed frame, which is what I get for weaning and potty training in the same month. He’s fine now, praise God. He is a tough cookie. A weaned, potty-training trooper.
So, just for today, I want to celebrate him and celebrate the progress we’ve made. One twelve-hour period at a time. Go little guy, go (just not near bed frames)! God bless you and protect you, buddy. You encourage me to just focus on today.