Today Is The Day

 The average human lives around 26,645 days. Considering how fast life flies by, that will feel like far less than you think. Entire years pass by like days as we get older. This may feel like an alarmist call to action, but can we really afford to waste one?

Benjamin Franklin once said: "Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?" and it still rings true. Today is the perfect chance to do that thing that you've been swearing that you'll do. Today... may be the last chance. 

So finish that project, learn that instrument, sign up for that class, ask that person on a date, and call that friend that you've been fighting with to extend the olive branch. Can you risk waiting until tomorrow with those things untried? Today is it, today is all we're guaranteed. Today is a day that can quickly become one of the most special you'll ever have. IF you take that first step. 

Baking Soda, Not Wood

Being able to rely on a friend in a time of crisis is among the most calming blessings that a stressed person can ever experience. Knowing that there's someone you can trust to sit in silence with, gain perspective from, or simply vent at when you need to, feels like a buoy in the middle of a ranging ocean. 

But the role that the comforting friend takes in the healing of the ailing friend is very crucial. It plays like a hippocratic oath for doctors: "First, do no harm". When someone is bleeding, you must first stop that bleeding before you can treat any other wounds. When a boat has a hole in it, you must first plug up that hole before you can worry about getting the water out. 

Let your friend vent, and listen intently. Have their back, and let them know that you're a safe space for them. But don't fan the flames or add more reasons to burn. Don't judge your friends in their times of weakness, and don't run to other parties to use private conversations as kindling. Use baking soda to douse the fire, not wood to enhance it. 

Pained friends need an outlet, an honest voice, and a sincere sense of care. They don't need more gossip, lectures, or outside opinions that they didn't seek. Be the kind of friend that you'd want to have the next time you need a friend. 

-Jason Burke