A Good Day

“You think this is

just another day in your life.

It's not just another day;

it's the one day

that is given to you today.

It's given to you. It's a gift.

It's the only gift

that you have right now, and

the only appropriate response

is gratefulness.

If you do nothing else

but to cultivate that response

to the great gift that this unique day is,

if you learn to respond as if it were

the first day of your life,

and the very last day,

then you will have spent this day

very well.”

David Steindl-Rast

I have many wise teachers I admire and trust,

and though I’ve never met him, Brother David is in my inner circle of

mentors, life advisors, and wise counsel.

He is one of my friends I've never met, yet a friend I turn to and lean on

as I learn to navigate life and struggle with its many paradoxes.

I am currently wrestling with the suffering, struggles, and pain

that accompanies the joy, peace, and love life has to offer.

We need people in our lives

who have seen the worst and the best life has to offer,

yet still live with serenity, courage, and wisdom

that accompanies their faith, hope, and love.

Brother David is one such man.

I have read and listened to A Good Day dozens of times.

And I have borrowed several lines from this message for my daily prayer time.

One particular passage that resonates deeply and I often carry with me is

“...if you learn to respond as if it were the first day of your life,

and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well.”

What I love about this passage is the hope and peace it inspires.

The hope of a new day and a reminder

to greet it and its opportunities with openness.

The peace of a last day and a reminder

to cherish it and recognize the many opportunities for gratefulness.

I am often struck by the beauty of these words and their power

when I truly take the time to pause, breathe, and smile throughout my days.

Because each day is the only day we have.

Brother David begins his message by reminding us that

this is not just another day; it is a gift given to us,

and the only appropriate response is gratefulness.

I’ll close this passage as wise Brother David closes his message.

And I wish the same for me.

And I wish the same for you.

“I wish for you

that you would open your heart

to all these blessings and

let them flow through you,

that everyone whom you will meet on this day

will be blessed by you;

just by your eyes, by your smile,

by your touch, just by your presence.

Let the gratefulness overflow

into blessing all around you,

and then it will really be a good day.”

Background photo by Tolga Ulkan on Unsplash