Tomorrow could be worse

Does a scratchy throat and stuffy nose make you want to sleep for the rest of the day?

Remember: tomorrow could be worse!

Does the howling wind rattling your house have you burying your head back under the covers?

Remember: tomorrow could be worse!

That’s right, folks. You can forget all those other motivational mantras. YOLO? No, bro. Carpe diem? Crappy idiom.  The only words of wisdom you need are these: tomorrow could be worse.

That thought will inspire you to get out of bed, showered, and into your car because you only have a finite number of sick days, and can you really afford to use one today because, remember, tomorrow could be worse?

That thought will spur you on as you shovel the knee-deep snow while trying to get your car unstuck from middle of your driveway.  It will keep you shoveling even though your stomach is growling because you skipped breakfast, the cold air is making you cough more, and your back is starting to hurt.

Sure, tomorrow could be worse isn’t foolproof. After you get your car unstuck and then stuck again at the end of the driveway, you may say to your husband, “I’ll push while you drive the car back into the garage because, screw this, I am NOT going to work.”

Tomorrow could be worse might be forgotten while you email your boss announcing that you can’t get your car out of driveway and won’t make it in. The phrase will be a distance memory as you change out of your wet pants and crawl back into bed, grateful that your toddler is still asleep.

But never fear: your tenacious husband fully embraces the tomorrow could be worse philosophy. He’ll save you from weak-willed desire for slumber by loudly searching for his hat and gloves, opening the garage door and starting the car. When you get out of bed to find out why he is making all this noise, he’ll remind you that milk is on sale today, so he is going to get the other car out of the garage and go buy some because the weather tomorrow could be worse. He’ll have you guiltily donning your own boots and winter gear to assist with snow removal only to find him sitting in the car already in the street.

Upon seeing him, the words will flood back into your mind: tomorrow could be worse. These words will steel you as you go back inside, change your clothes, and head off to work once more. You’ll remember that tomorrow could be worse as you slowly navigate icy roads, strain to see through the swirling snow, and feel your compact car being pushed around by the gusts of wind that have sent the temperatures below zero.

When you walk into your office, your startled coworker will say, “Oh, you made it in.” This is the perfect opportunity to introduce her to your reason for getting out of bed each day.

“I figured I better. You never know: tomorrow could be worse.”