Galveston, Texas
Photography: AVM Hawkins

With each day, as I grow older and prayerfully, more wiser, I find that I deeply value stepping outside to take several deep, relaxing, full breaths… holding them in, and releasing them seconds later.

I value a calm and relaxed body.

I love feeling safe in my body, quieting my mind and releasing tension through belly breathing practices.

I love meditating—even the mere attempt at meditating, for I’ve honestly haven’t had a full uninterrupted session in quiet sometime…

Just having a few seconds of calm breathing goes such a long way.

When I was younger the excitement of busyness made me feel important, like what I was doing was worthwhile.

But now I sense my greatest accomplishment are the moments I take, to exhale. To just be.

Maybe I value this because I am getting older…or perhaps due to the global turmoil that breaks hourly in the news cycle… but regardless of the reason, I am very grateful for those moments—the moments where I truly focus on my breath.

Those few seconds of clarity and bliss are so worth it and are a great reminder to me of how grateful I am to possess it.

The weather has been incredibly beautiful.

Spring is in the air and I’ve been enjoying catching the morning or evening breeze whenever I can.

I know life shifts constantly in seasons.

I know summer will be here and it will be incredibly hot in Texas.

With this knowledge, I intentionally take in these days with full gratitude—not taking them for granted.

And these days have brought me back to my breath.

They have brought me back to my life force and my deep gratitude for the feeling of calm, quiet, and relaxation within my own skin.

Self care is so important. Art is a form of self-care. And enjoying the little things in life are a form of art.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, that’s filled with peace, safety and serenity, in your body and in your external environment.

Breathe