That Time An Old Dominican Man Changed My Life

Christmas has arrived at my home. The lights have been hung inside and out. I strung popcorn, watched movies, and even searched the Netflix database for all movies pertaining to Christmas. The holidays are in full swing!!! It makes me so excited to think about the traditions of Christmas past, present and the traditions I am thrilled to start in the future. It’ll be wonderful when I have a house full of littles running around, screaming Jingle Bells at the tops of their lungs. And then throwing up massive amounts of Christmas cookies and hot cocoa. That’s going to be amazing! (Then all the mothers who are reading this rolled their eyes and said, “Yea right, just wait.”)

But since I am way off before any of that is going to happen, I had an epiphany. An epiphany that takes place every once in a while when I begin thinking, hoping, or worrying of things to come. It’s a phrase that an old Dominican man, whose name is Francisco, told me while I was on a mission’s trip. “Today is the best day of your life.” I remember thinking, cool story bro, but there’s too much going on upstairs for me to stop thinking so much. He continued on, “Yesterday is gone, all the mistakes, all the emotions, all the failures. Tomorrow hasn’t even happened yet. So why worry?! Allow tomorrow to worry about itself. TODAY! TODAY IS YOUR BEST DAY!!” It literally blew my mind! I have spent so much time either in the past or in the future. The Bible is so clear with us that we are only guaranteed today. Right now. This moment. We are living with borrowed breath. Every day is a gift that God allows us to live. I’ve wasted a lot of time focusing on false hopes, silly regrets and worrying myself into the ground.

By Emily Bansuelo

That little old man with the white crazy hair changed my life. That day I decided that it would be the best day of my freaking life!!! I ventured where Emily would never have gone before. I went cliff jumping!

That's Me!

And it may sound great, but the water was really dirty, seriously, there were diapers floating by as I surfaced from the deep. BUT IT WAS AMAZING! While eating dinner in a Dominican family’s home later that night, they offered me the chicken’s foot. (A delicacy, by the way, and an honor to be offered it as a guest.)

The Chicken's Feet

So the girl with a giant gag reflex proceeded to place the slimy, warm foot into her mouth. Sure enough, it tasted like chicken and slid down like Jello, but for some reason a little crunchy at times.

SO… back to the point at hand with Christmas time being here. I realized that so many traditions I want to begin later on in life, either with kids or friends, I can start right now. For instance, on Christmas morning, before opening gifts, my family (my husband and I) will read letters of thankfulness before indulging in presents. On Christmas Eve, we’ll be having friends over who don’t have family to decorate a big tree with or make Christmas cookies with, or laugh and cry at classic Christmas movies. We will stay up all night celebrating the birth of Jesus with a birthday cake.

Now is not a time for me to hope and wish for things to come or regret for the colossal mistakes I’ve made in the past, I will live for today, because today is the best day of my life. It’s all I have. Now how will you live your life? Will your thoughts be filled with false hopes, wishes for tomorrow, and missing yesterday. Allow me to encourage you…

“Today is the best day of your life. Yesterday is gone, all the mistakes, all the emotions, all the failures. Tomorrow hasn’t even happened yet. So why worry?! Allow tomorrow to worry about itself. TODAY! TODAY IS YOUR BEST DAY!!”

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's troubles are enough for today."

-Matthew 6:34-