Breathing
Only one song on my mix CD for the junior high retreat roadtrip (and what a roadtrip it was…snow, snow, snow) got any mention from kids. On the way there and on the way home, I had junior high girls singing and humming along with Breathe (2AM) by Anna Nalick.
They were crammed in the backseat with my baby girl, sweetness and light packed in tight, all of them, baby and pre-teens, laughing and enjoying life and each other. So it seemed odd that the lyrics that resonated with these girls were about realizing that, at a certain point in life, your options start to close down, and you have to live with some of your mistakes. I don’t mean that there’s no such thing as forgiveness, but some things you just can’t change. You have to live with them, and the only thing to do is keep breathing and keep moving forward.
I wonder if they know that yet? When you haven’t lived long enough to make that many mistakes, when you can still grow up and grow out of some of the things you tried that didn’t work, when you still can have high hopes and goals that are a little crazy, do you know about what’s it’s like to live with the decisions you’ve made?
I listen to this song when I’m running…as a reminder to keep going, one foot in front of another, breath by breath, day by day. I can only go forward.
During the retreat, we sang another song about breathing, Breathe. I hope that my girls could hear these words alongside Anna Nalick’s. I can hear some hope in her song only if I remember that in breathing, I take in God’s air, and I take on God’s support.
Yes, one step at a time. Thanks for this reminder and song. I hope some good rest and recovery comes to you post retreat!
28 January 2008 at 3:01 pm
A very thoughtful post… I have a thing for songs about breathing. Anna Nalick’s is a favorite — another is the Indigo Girls — can’t remember the name of the song but the line is “I don’t know what to believe, I just shut up and breathe anymore…” We should get together soon…
29 January 2008 at 10:12 am
I have heard this all my life: Every time we breath we are one breath closer to seeing GOD.
25 February 2008 at 5:15 pm
Hello, I am “new” to reading Erica’s blog. I was looking up the church office phone number and came across the blog. I have to say what a fantastic way to start off my crazy work week by reading through the posts first.
This song has a lot of meaning to me. I travel frequently for my job and to say I have a fear of flying is speaking lightly. This is the first song on IPOD playlist titled “Jenn’s flight music”. It calms me, reminds me to breathe and somehow helps me to remember there are far greater things that being afraid of flying and to simply relax and trust I’m in good hands…..
17 March 2008 at 8:19 am