“Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as if they’re here to stay. Oh I believe, in yesterday. ~Beatles~

This morning as I lay in bed watching the sky lighten to a brighter shade of gray, I said a silent prayer of thanks. Grateful for being blessed with another day of experiencing everything life has to offer.

This might sound strange or even unbelievable to someone who has not experienced living life with MS. They would probably look at me like I was delusionalor had three heads.

In the famous lyrics of the Beatles classic song “Yesterday” all my troubles did seem far away. Life seemed at the time carefree, bursting with endless possibilities and hopes for the future.

But stop right there. You can not dwell on what was!

If I have learned one thing after living with MS for twenty years, is that you can not focus your attention on what you used to be like. The things you once might have been able to do but now you can’t.

You need to shift your mindset into being grateful for what you can now do and experience.

I might not be able to drive my car anymore feeling the rush of independence just going somewhere on my own. I can no longer curl up on a sofa on a rainy day with a treasured paperback novel as the words are now no longer visible to my damaged optic nerves. I might trip over unseen curbs or lament the fact that I cannot see clearly the vibrant colors of a fall landscape.

But I can see that today is a new day and full of beauty. I just have to look at things with a new appreciation.

So I am writing this as the new day dawns outside of my multi-paned window to remind you not to focus on yesterdays, but to embrace your todays.

There is goodness in your life. Do not let MS blind you from seeing what matters.

Cindy Lee Lothian

September 15, 2014