One Precious Day

I may never see tomorrow;

There’s no written guarantee,

And things that happened yesterday

Belong to history.
I cannot predict the future,

And I cannot change the past.

I have just the present moment;

I must treat it as my last.

I must use this moment wisely

For it soon will pass away,

And be lost to me forever

As a part of yesterday.

I must exercise compassion,

Help the fallen to their feet,

Be a friend unto the friendless,

Make an empty life complete.

I must make this moment precious,

For it will not come again,

And I can never be content

With things that might have been.

Kind words I fail to say this day

May never be unsaid,

For I know not how short may be

The path that lies ahead.

The unkind things I do today

May never be undone,

And friendships that I fail to win

May nevermore be won.

I may not  have another chance

On bended knee to pray,

And thank my God with humble heart

For giving me this day.

I may never see tomorrow,

But this moment is my own.

It’s mine to use or cast aside;

The choice is mine alone.

I have just this precious moment

In the sunlight of today,

Where the dawning of tomorrow

Meets the dusk of yesterday.

-Author Unknown