I seem to write a great deal about breathing. Breath is life. It is powerful, cleansing, vital. We catch our breath at the sight of something beautiful. It can be so beautiful in fact that it’s breathtaking. We breathe a sigh of relief. We breathe deep the smell of rain on a breeze. Our breath quickens with passion, becomes shallow with fear. We fill our lungs and cry out with the sudden searing pain of the first breath in the moments after birth. We wait with baited breath in moments of great anticipation. We slip away with a sigh as our last breath leaves us.

Breathe. Gurus tell us to control our breathing. Yogis tell us to focus on our breath. Midwives tell us to pant to ease childbirth. Emergency responders tell us calmly, “Just breathe.” Conscious breathing can ease anxiety and relax us for sleep. I often remind you to breathe. The world is a hectic place. Life is sometimes a difficult place to be. Grief can make you have an actual sensation in your chest. A heaviness. An ache. It can give you the feeling that you can’t take in a deep breath. Sometimes the waves of grief come over you so hard you feel like you’re drowning. The waves crash and knock you to the ground. It’s ok. Sometimes you find precious gems while you’re down there. Just breathe. Then stand up again.

❤️

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”

Psalm 33:6