Be still
Breathe in – 2 3 4 5
Hold 2 3
Breathe out – 2 3 4 5
Getting up this morning and yesterday morning I watched the sunrise. It’s been a while with Jack being home we’ve both been sleeping later without the alarm clock to wake us.
Jack went back to work this week. On Monday, and again this morning, I was up and about at 5:20 am. I made my tea, let the dogs out, and walked outside, to join them. Sitting down in the chair I watch as they wander around the yard sniffing the remnants of the night, that had come to surface. Scattered clouds appeared pink, illuminated by the sun which had already broken through the horizon and was starting to greet the sky. The early bird, already caught the worm and now his friends had joined him, for their morning chores of gathering breakfast.
My mother’s cousin passed away, over the weekend – related to Coronavirus – he was a kind man, with no immediate family of his own. He attended many of the family celebrations, we have had over the last year, so I was glad we included him in our family gatherings. This sadness added to the struggle this week, to come up with the correct topic for today’s post – Also, my daughter’s flight from Spain has been canceled so we need to figure that out too.
My mind was kind of all over the place, with everything going on and everything not going on…none of it, in our control.
Be still
Breathe in – 2 3 4 5
Hold 2 3
Breathe out 2 3 4 5
I realize, I have always been very conscious of my breathing. Pre-children Jack and I would 
scuba dive quite a bit and one thing you learn being certified is breathing techniques. Deep slow breaths, in and out, using as much of your lungs as you can. I loved the slow sound of my breath underwater it was soothing, allowing me to take in the phenomenal underwater world and how lucky I was to be a part of it for a short time.
Years later when I worked with children in theater production – I would address them every year, as we started stage rehearsals, keeping in mind this was a Catholic School and in the Catholic Faith – air, wind are symbols of the Holy Spirit.
And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
My speech would go something like this…
“I want you to take a deep breath. Listen to your breath as you pull in slowly. Breathe out and listen, in and out. Now as you’re breathing in and out, I want you to think about what happens when you stand up in class and must give an oral report, or just about to take a big test. Maybe you are a basketball player standing at the foul line about to take a shot, maybe gymnast about to jump to grab the uneven parallel bars. Singer, dancer just before the curtain opens. What happens? What happens to everybody at that moment in time? A lawyer before he gives an opening statement, a teacher before they address their class, just before… what is it everyone does?
Stop and take a deep breath.
Be still
Breathe in – 2 3 4 5
Hold 2 3
Breathe out – 2 3 4 5
Now, being Catholic, I believe God designed our bodies, to stop and take a deep breath. At that moment in time, as Catholics we are asking for the Holy Spirit, to come to be with us, guide us, help us be strong, so that we can move forward with the faith that we are not alone.
Now God knew we weren’t always going to think and literally ask the Holy Spirit to come to us. And God knew that not all humans would have the same faith.
So, God being God, he created our bodies to do it for us. Take that breath. Breathing through, In and Out. It doesn’t really matter your religion and what you believe everybody does this. Your body is designed to do it….”
While my little talk was to show they would not be alone on the stage and how we always call the for the Holy Spirit just before that big important moment whether we realize it or not – our bodies, just do it.
But what about right now? There is no big moment – it is just me and my thoughts about what to write? my parents? our kids? the bills? how is Ally going to get home from Spain? THE STATE OF THE WORLD? So much to think about and it is REALLY REALLY, hard to turn off.
At this moment I Stop…
Be still
Breathe in – 2 3 4 5
Hold 2 3
Breathe out – 2 3 4 5
Everything slows down as I listen to my breathing.
My thoughts calm down, I hear the birds, watch the clouds, force a smile until it is natural.
Be still
Breathe in – 2 3 4 5
Hold 2 3
Breathe out – 2 3 4 5
I realize it doesn’t need to be “That Big Moment” because every moment is extraordinary in its own way.
Good Morning!
Dear Diary, Today I was still, I took the moment, one breathe at a time and recognized it to be extraordinary!
