Hey #CiteASista family! My name is Bridgette and I’m a newly minted MPA with a focus on Nonprofit Management and Higher Education. I’m the newest addition to the Cite A Sista family and I couldn’t be more grateful.
That said, this is my first Cite a Sista post and I am pretty hype! LOL. I hope you’ll follow along as I work through love, faith, womanhood, and much more through spoken word and poetry.
This season has been all about transition. From graduating and moving to actively seeking a new professional opportunity, I’ve found myself time and again working to stay encouraged. This is especially true of my current job, which I love, but leaves much to be desired as it relates to my long-term goals.
To be honest, it has been draining.
Things have built up so bad that although I’ve found myself in venting a few times to my friends, I continued to feel I had not truly shared my feelings about my life transitions.
-Enter my aunt-
My aunt and I have a special relationship. She has always been someone I could confide in and has always been patient, understanding and of course one of my greatest prayer warriors. Since this month was my tipping point, on the day she called “just to hear my voice and catch up”, made a normal conversation an opportunity for a breakthrough.
As I cried and talked and talked, I realized she was quiet and had been nonresponsive for a while. I understood this was her way to allow me to get it all out. Once I finally took a breath, she said “Today was meant for me to listen” and let me talk some more. My aunt went on to share with me one of her last days with my grandmother before she passed away (another story and another poem for another day). I learned from my aunt that one of the last pieces of wisdom my grandmother imparted upon her was, “Corliss, let tomorrow worry about tomorrow.”
Since my grandmother passed away (or Nanny as we called her) I often pushed a lot of my memories of her aside. I made a choice not to visit her grave although sometimes it feels as though I don’t remember a thing about her. But in moments like these, where my aunt is present for me in the flesh, I realize my grandmother’s presence and spirit had come full circle. I get this feeling of her telling me, “chile you ain’t gon ever forget or lose me”. My Aunt, by way of my grandma, has reminded me of the importance of dealing with things as they come but also taking a break for myself.
The poem below is all about that experience. I hope you enjoy!
Let Tomorrow Worry About Tomorrow
Tomorrow’s to- do list keeps getting longer
- Create this
- Send this email
- Call about that
- Connect with so and so
- Don’t forget
- Make sure
At this point I am at #20 so I ditch the numbers and try bullet points
Adding to this list that never seems to get anything accomplished
Just additions.
I switch up the format I create it on, maybe that makes a difference
Separate items by categories, try a different stationary, use different colors
But tomorrow becomes a daunting task in itself
So much that today is all about counting down for tomorrow
Trying to get a leg up on tomorrow
Because in some way, maybe I can beat it
The opponent is clever
Another bullet point is added before I can even put on my fighting gloves
My phone rings
A calm soothing voice on the other end
Immediately putting me at ease
Something about the magic of black women elders
Able to work wonders without laying hands on you
No their voices are the potions
And their spirits are the antidotes to ailments doctors fumble over
Her words did their thing “Let tomorrow worry about tomorrow”
And she prayed over me
“Let tomorrow worry about tomorrow”
I took those to heart and let my energy bask in today
So today, I will smile
Today , I will practice gratitude
Today, I will savor the moments I have neglected
Enjoy the people I dismissed thinking beyond them
Enjoy the moments of the now and here, today
Because tomorrow, well
Because in reality,
Tomorrow may not come
- BCB 9/1/17
#CiteASista: Today & Everyday 
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