Just Breathe

This week has stunk so bad that I have a full-blown fever blister! Today is my only day off and (I know poor me) I decided to treat myself, under the premise of “If I don’t take care of myself who will?” Because of experiences both pleasant and not, I have decided to name this the week of just breathing!

The week started out with an e-mail from a wonderful person, from whom I had elicited help, instructing me that all would be well and I should just breathe! I had to smile because my mantra in life is that of Julian of Norwich:

“And all shall be well,

And all shall be well,

And all manner of things shall be well?”

And so I breathed.

The fennel I mentioned in an earlier post that I had found in my garden, had to come into the house this week. It has begun to freeze every night so out I went and trimmed back my roses, brought in a couple of buds and harvested that fennel! Later in the week I went to the window where the rose buds had been placed and they were in bloom with a heavenly fragrance, one I had to just breathe in!

Thursday at a quarterly educational event at work we had a whole hour session on breathing and stress. I think I may have finally found the answer to my unwelcome tears, four breaths in and then four breaths out. It seems to curb the sob rising in my throat. I may owe the instructor, whom I consider a friend, more than he will ever know. Tears have plagued me for years, which come at totally inconvenient times. Maybe now, I am in control, when I mindfully breathe!

When I was in Paris I purchased 2 tins of Fois Gras; Duck and Goose. Today seemed like the day to make the Fois Gras, Fennel and Orange salad we made in our cooking classes in Paris. Homegrown Fennel, Oranges handy and those tins of Fois Gras, I heard that salad calling to me. And it was good, the salad, a warm baguette and a small glass of a nice Cahors (also purchased in Paris), yes, it was good. AND as I was cutting that fennel for the salad, I had to breathe in the fragrance of the fresh fennel, green and anise at once. And it made me think, as I draw in the essence of my creator whether in fear, fragrance, or tears, it seems that we all need to really do is breathe in and out and we can experience joy and peace!