We generally describe our days as good or bad. There are days we will never forget, moments we cherish, and time we hope will never pass. There are also days we hope to forget before they are even over.
In fact, just this past week, I was having a really bad day. Nothing was clicking, I felt behind, and there was too much to do with not enough time. You get the idea. Everything was heading downhill fast, and I felt my time spent was already a complete waste. However, a moment came that completely turned my day around.
As I justified a “quick break” by scrolling through my news feed, I came across an article that had re-surfaced. The article was written by Tyler Trent, the biggest Purdue fan on the planet. Sadly, Tyler’s battle with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, came to an end just over three weeks ago. Although I have never personally met Tyler, I could tell how
gracious his heart was. I would want him on my team every time, for I know he would find the bright spot in any situation.
In his article, Tyler discussed the cancer he battled each day and the effects osteosarcoma had on his student life at Purdue, including attending athletic events and cheering for his beloved Boilermakers. As I read on, there was one section of his piece that really left a lasting impact. Here’s what Tyler had to say:
“Though I am in hospice care and have to wake up every morning knowing that the day might be my last, I still have a choice to make: to make that day the best it can be.
Yet isn’t that a choice we all have every day? After all, nobody knows the amount of days we have left. Some could say we are all in hospice to a certain degree. So why don’t we act like it? Where is your gratitude?”
Can you believe that? Here is an individual (a true warrior I might add) who has been through so much, who has been told that his time is limited, yet he understands that he still has a choice. That’s some powerful stuff if you ask me.
Friends, so often we forget that we too have a choice, no matter what our trial or circumstance. Each day, life presents us with options of how we can act and treat others. The way I look at it, the blueprint is rather simple: We can define the day or let the day define us.
There’s a key lesson Tyler has taught us all, and that’s to focus on making today our best. Not tomorrow, not two weeks from now, but today.
Tyler has taught me that focusing on tomorrow doesn’t add anything to today. We all have a choice, which begs just one question: What will you choose?
