One Day at a Time

My mother, now 95, has two favorite sayings: The first is "Life is a constant change." The other? "One day at a time."

I didn't realize that this second motto came from a song until she started to sing it recently when someone commented on her age.

"What's your secret?" she was asked.

"I take life one day at a time," she answered and proceeded to sing a few of the lines.

I didn't know the song, so I looked up the lyrics online. Here they are - written in the early 1970s by Marijohn Wilkiins and Kris Kristofferson. Somewhere down the line, the song stuck in my mother's memory - where its words have been an inspiration ever since! (That's the beauty of music!)

One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus

I'm only human, I'm just a man/woman 
Help me believe in what I could be 
And all that I am 
Show me the stairway I have to climb 
Lord for my sake, help me to take 
One day at a time 

One day at a time sweet Jesus 
That's all I'm askin' of you 
Just give me the strength 
To do every day what I have to do 
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus 
And tomorrow may never be mine 
Lord, help me today, show me the way 
One day at a time 

Do you remember when you walked among men 
Well Jesus you know 
If you're lookin' below, it's worse now than then 
Pushin' and shovin' and crowdin' my mind 
So for my sake, teach me to take 
One day at a time 

One day at a time sweet Jesus 
That's all I'm askin' of you 
Just give me the strength 
To do every day what I have to do 
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus 
And tomorrow may never be mine 
Lord, help me today, show me the way 
One day at a time

If you're curious to hear the song, as I was, here it is, sung by Cristy Lane.