Curves

Wouldn't it be nice if there were never any curves in the road that is our life? If it were all straight and flat, and we could see everything that is in front of us and behind? We get those little straight

stretches, and then whoosh.......there is a curve, or a hill or maybe both!

Sometimes there is one curve right after another, sorta like curves that clone. That is when life is going so fast, and so out of control, you get dizzy.......and then the hills start.

Those curves are usually things we didn't plan for, illness, financial problems, loss, divorce, you know each of us has our own personal road map filled with curves. The hills, that's when you slow down big time, when the illness is long term serious stuff, when you lose everything, when all the sugar in the world would not make lemon aid out of your lemons!

That's the one thing about living, the road map gets more complicated, the longer you travel.

I have had hills to climb that took me years to make it to the top. (caring for an aging/sick parent) dealing with a chronic disease(no end in sight). But you know, I have found that no matter how many curves and hills I have, there is always someone who has more. Steeper curves, higher hills, I meet people almost every day whose map is way more complicated than mine will ever be.

I don't mean to oversimplify, because I know too well, when it is your curve, your hill the last thing you want is for someone to minimize it. But the simple act of breathing.....it just helps to cope. Think about it, when you have something important to say, you take a deep breath before you say it. Many times when you have to do something not so pleasant, you take a deep breath before you begin. The breath is calming, centering, and healing.

When you are in the center of a deep scary curve, don't hold your breath, breathe! When you are climbing what looks like a mountain/hill with no end in sight, breath. I tell my students all the time, you can go many days without food, many days without water, but only a very few short minutes without air. And when we need it the most, that is when we breathe the least.

We allow those curves to take our breath, and when there is one right after another, we become shallow breathers,holding our breaths.

So the next curve you face, the next hill you have to climb, don't forget to breathe. It won't make the problem go away, but it will make you feel better. Breathing will help you to stay focused, to think about what is taking place, to stay calm on a rain slicked curvy road.