Taking [a moment] to Breathe

[Moment 3]

All of a sudden I found I was struggling to breathe. 

I hadn't been doing anything out of the ordinary. I'd gotten up, read some emails, caught up a bit on social media, and washed some dishes. And then, as I was making myself some breakfast, I couldn't breathe. In that moment, I started to panic. Which was kind of funny, considering I was also at that moment trying to determine whether or not I was having a panic attack or a bout with adrenal insufficiency or some other health crisis.

It all came flooding in - my fears and anxieties about so many things ... things I barely acknowledge in everyday life and definitely have not allowed myself to properly process or feel. Covid numbers are at all all time high. I'm on a medication that suppresses my immune system. I have friends and family members who are going through various health and personal crises and I'm not doing so hot myself. And my concerns about my relationships and my children's growth and wellbeing amidst a global pandemic and ... and ... and...

So I stopped. I lit a candle. I took a moment to breathe and to watch the flame dance. 

It was a greatly needed, centering moment. It didn't erase any of the issues or make them any less serious and stressful, it just gave me the time to calm my mind and my breath and not feel quite so overwhelmed by it all. 

It's moments like these that remind us all that we need to make time to fully recognize and name the stressors in our lives and to discuss, pray, cry, research, learn, reach out, or do whatever else it is that will help us to live our lives as fully as is possible despite these challenges.