For years, we lived in a high-rise on Amsterdam Avenue and 97th Street, one of those bustling NYC buildings with two elevators shuttling more residents than one could imagine. Through the constant up-and-down journeys, we got to know our neighbors, including Sunny, who struggled with memory but navigated life with grace.

The day before Christmas, we stepped into the elevator together. After our hellos, I asked about her holiday plans.

Her face scrunched up. “Whoa,” she said, stretching her hands and arms as if to stop a speeding car. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves! We still have Thanksgiving to get through!”

We laughed and went with it, choosing not to correct her altered version of date and time, wishing her a happy Thanksgiving.

As we rode up, I realized Sunny had just given us a gift: a reminder that today is what you make of it. Period. Not tomorrow, not next week, just now, and it’s all yours. Only in NYC could a 90-something neighbor with a fading memory but good humor deliver such clear wisdom about staying present and celebrating whatever you wish today.