you let it all go / so no, nobody knows / what’s breathing teaching me to believe? / as times goes they’ll know / that you let it all go.

so long, farewell / that’s what i said to you / bring on the stories, because i’m pulling through

you will not stay, michael jagmin

The discovery of this song a little before midnight last night is what prompted a late-night blog redesign. I’ve been meaning to do it for awhile, but that first bolded lyric grabbed me so hard and wouldn’t let me step away. In the last 24 hours, I’ve listened to You Will Not Stay sixty times. Michael Jagmin’s vocal range is absolutely incredible, and I’m often a sucker for the piano.

What’s breathing teaching me?

The important things.

There’s an unfortunate reality in living in “automatic pilot”. And if only a few times a day, it is because of breathing, because of asthma, I am forced to step back from being on autopilot and check in with myself.

It’s beyond that. I know that I need to do this in other areas of my life, too–pause and check in with how I’m feeling. Breathing is my reminder of that. Breathing . . . my heart beating . . . keeping me alive.

What’s breathing teaching me?

It’s teaching me about friendship. About loving people where they’re at. About spreading my metaphorical wings. About stepping out of my comfort zone. About movement. About hope. About really being alive.

About making each breath, each moment count for something . . . even if it is just in getting past the moment before it. To not take the moments for granted. About not being complacent in this journey.

That together . . . we will make it through this. Everything. Life.

(I’d also like to thank Mike for his feedback on the redesigning. I knew something was off and we couldn’t figure it out. After redoing the header, changing some colours, and adding the border, I’m a bit closer but still might do some tweaks over the next few days!)