Just Breathe
It’s 11:00am. My son Grayson is down for his one nap of the day. I’ve been up since 5:30am. I’ve showered, made Grayson breakfast (which he didn't eat), got him dressed, cleaned up, read 12 board books, played ball, grabbed coffee, went to CVS and we ran around at the park.
Now that he's in his crib, I’m just looking at my inbox. 57 unread messages since yesterday. My to-do list for the day is a full page long. And that’s just the essentials. (Walk the dog, clean the tub, go to a birthday party, confirm tomorrow’s clients, respond to emails, call my friend back…)
Tonight is also my only weeknight off from teaching. I really want to get as much done during the day so that after Grayson goes to bed I can sit down and relax. I’d love to talk to my husband when I’m not half asleep. I also really want to watch So You Think You Can Dance. I really should try to be in bed my 10pm because I have a 6am client tomorrow. But here’s the daily unknown, I don’t know how long Grayson will nap. Will it be an hour? Two? Three!? I need to set my priorities. I ask myself - what can’t I do while he is awake? I laugh. He’s a toddler. I can’t get anything done. My heart starts beating more quickly. How much time do I have? I have to move quickly. Can I fit in a load of laundry? I feel a faint stomach ache. I’m tired. I have too do much to do. I just want to take a nap.
I sit down for a few minutes and stall by looking at Facebook. That’s when I come across this video. It moved me so much that I need to share it with you. This video isn’t just for parents and their kids, it’s for everyone.
WOW. What a important reminder that we all, no matter our age, NEED A TIME OUT. Our world spins very fast. It’s easy to get caught up. A lot of us suffer from stress, anxiety, exhaustion. But what happens when you just STOP. How do you feel after you sit down, close your eyes and just breathe?
“When I need to calm down I take deep breathes.”
I could learn a lot from these children. I think we could all benefit from following their words. I know I did. After all, life is NOT about the lists and chores. That will wait. Your mental state, your body won't. In Pilates we say breathe equals life.
Breathe on.
