Did you know that the average person takes 28,880 breaths a day? ... according to the all-knowing WikiAnswers.com.
And, did you know that if you multiply 28,880 breaths by 365 days a year, you would find that the average person breaths 10,541,200 times a year? Once again... answer courtesy of WikiAnswers.com (I had to turn to the internet because I truly am mathematically challenged).
Today I turned 42. If I were to multiply 42 times 10,541,200, I could get a rough answer of 442,730,400 breaths that I have taken in my life time. Obviously, my equation is slightly flawed because this doesn't include the times my kids have done something that takes my breath away, or when I had to breath (hee, hee, hee, hee) through a contraction during labor and delivery or leap years, but you get the idea... I have done a lot of breathing during my lifetime!
Why all this talk of breaths and breathing? Just today, as I spent the day exploring a local little town just me and my man, I realized, anew, how frequently I get caught up in life and forget to enjoy the individual moments that make up my life. I get so busy... life happens... things get in the way and I rely on my lungs involuntarily taking in air to get me through the day. I rarely stop and think about breathing... I just do it.
Just as is my life... I rarely stop and think about living... I just do it. And, when I "just do it" minutes blend into hours that morph into days and meld into weeks and then years go by... and I didn't stop to enjoy any of it.
Today... I breathed... I walked hand in hand with the love of my life and consciously took air in my lungs. And, as I did, something amazing happened... my senses woke up... I smelled spring in the air and saw the blue, blue sky. I heard birds songs and my man's laughter. I felt the cool air on my face and the joy in my heart.
Breathing... so glad I took time today to take that deep breath!
Lately I have forgotten this.
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