"Un dia mas, un dia menos"

Occasionally I'll hear an American from one of our work teams say with a deep sigh, "One...more...day." The implication, of course, is that the work they're about to do is considered somewhat of a burden, even if they did fly thousands of miles to do it, and they're looking forward to it being completed and the day over.
I love when I hear someone from the States say this, because I instantly look around to see if there is a Guatemalan standing nearby. If there is, without fail the Guatemalan will reply, "Un dia mas, un dia menos," which means "One more day, one less day."
This reply underscores an interesting difference in the way Guatemalans perceive life. As an American, I usually assume that I've got countless days left to live - at least until I'm well into my 70's or 80's. I know I've got plenty of food, a permanent place to live, and many opportunities (even if I never take advantage of them) to live my life to the fullest. I can say with a sigh, "one more day," because I know I probably do have many more days ahead of me. Today just doesn't feel like that much of a gift.
The Guatemalan, however, doesn't appear to understand life this way. His society is set up in such a way to support life just for today, and that's it. Every town here has a local market twice a week where people buy only what they need for the next few days. The markets are held so often because, besides the fact that there's no Sam's Club to buy a 5-gallon jar of mayonnaise and no refrigeration to preserve things, the people here simply live day-to-day. Why would I buy groceries for more than 3 days? Who knows if I'll have income in 3 days? Who knows what will happen in 3 days?
The upside of this way of thinking, despite the daily difficulties associated with it, is that it gives one quite a different appreciation for the word, "today." The American knows he's promised 40 more years, and so is capable of sighing at the mere thought of "today." The Mayan, however, sees "today" differently. It's one of her few promises, in fact. Perhaps that's why she can smile at the visitor and reply, "...yes, it may be one more day for you, but never forget, it's one less day, too."
One of my most important goals while here is to leave this country with that same mentality. Today may not be just what I want it to be, but it's also all I have. I wonder how different my life would be if, instead of counting my days forward, I started counting them backwards? What would today become, if I actually were able to wake up each morning and say, "...one less day...?"
Peace,
Jay