An Invitation for an Imperfect Breath

Dear Parent,

Outside your home, your office, your car,
the world keeps spinning.
There are countless situations outside your control.
Your kids are growing older,
and you are growing older, too.
At times it all feels like too much
and these are precisely the moments to take a deep breath.

It doesn’t have to be a perfect breath
like the kind yoga instructors teach us:
in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Nose, nose? That works.
Allergies bothering you, so mouth breathing only? You bet.

The length can vary too; one shorter than the next is okay.
One deep chest lift inhale,
followed by a release it all-shoulder drop-exhale
does seem to be helpful,
but not required.

Now if you want to, close your eyes and keep breathing deeply
for as many moments as you can spare. Just a couple more?
That is sometimes all it takes to reset.

There is no wrong way to say yes to the air under your nostrils.
No wrong way to say thank you to the God who gives us life.

The world will keep spinning.
Let it spin.
Keep breathing, dear friend,
Keep breathing.