Breathe

Breathe.

Have you ever found yourself going through life so fast that you’re holding your breath?  That’s how I found myself last week after six days of travel, eye surgery and running kids here and there.  I flew to Florida, came home, went to the doc, and then off to Milwaukee for the HLAA conference. I came home to news that my mom had gotten into a car accident–she ended up in a ditch with the wheel off and the front end totaled–and thankfully ok.    On Sunday, the boys went in two different directions to two different camps.  By the time we dropped the last kid off, we realized we weren’t going to make it to the family dinner an hour and half away.

Breathe.

I received a letter this week from Ron, a high school friend of mine. He is a retired Navy deep sea diver.  He is teaching me the mechanics about scuba diving in his letters and we plan to go scuba diving next year.  One of the most important things to remember when underwater is simply this:

Breathe.

Because you know what happens when you hold your breath underwater while scuba diving?  The pressure increases and if it increases too much at one point, the lungs go “ka-boom.”

Breathe.

A new friend reminded me of this.  As I sat at the car rental place waiting for Joe to pick me up, I quieted my mind and focused on breathing.  How easy it is to forget that simple thing that gives us energy and sustains our bodies.

I thought back to Steven’s birth.  I learned about hypnobirthing while I was pregnant and taught myself the technique.  It involves putting yourself in a special place, deep breathing, affirmations and changing your attitude and thought process.   Fourteen hours of labor, while intense at times, was a calm experience thanks to this approach.  I realized that I used it last week at the doctor’s office, and the minute that the procedure was over, I went back into “spinning life” mode, racing home to finish up work.

Breathe.

A friend of mine asked me how to achieve more balance in life.  I busted out laughing.  I’m the last person to ask for that advice, I told her.  Ask me in thirty years.

But you know what?  The answer is really simple one, as my new friend reminds me:

Breathe.

And remember to love yourself and others in the process.  Because that’s what life is all about.  Nothing else matters.