Some people living in one day at a time recovery think of the future as something to look forward to. Those who do well in our system of meritocracy will make enough and also be able to invest enough to save enough for the future that their incomes will be the same as if they still had the securities that their jobs had afforded them. If only all of us could do the same. In another reality, in countries such as Canada, the government guarantees an income for us to get by on when we turn sixty-five. Because of this, most seniors get by, or manage to get by with enough to pay for the essentials of life. They might also receive subsidies if they can get into seniors housing. Those of us who don’t fit into either situation understand the reality of budgeting and trying to live within our means. Our plans for the future are simple things like ordering takeout this week, going to a movie, maybe saving for a staycation or even further travel or heading to a family member’s cottage for a couple of days. For some of us it’s a few extra hours of work to catch up on our bills. For some of us it’s waiting for that government pension or some other form of monthly check just so we might have a few bucks for coffee, perhaps an offering to charity or church and to give us the funds to replenish our groceries. In reality such things make us grateful and in gratitude we live in recovery. One more day of recovery and the hope of another one more day in recovery give us something to look forward to. In doing so we learn to live in today. We keep it simple. Peace.
