31 Days of Giving Permission . . . TO BREATHE DEEPLY (A Photo Essay)

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 It’s Saturday, friends.
If you’ve been racing down the highway of life this week,
traveling at 70 to 80 miles per hour,
can I encourage you to just take your foot off the gas? 

That’s right, just slow that car right on down.
In fact, why don’t you pull over to the side of the road,
for just a minute or two? 

 Now. Step outside the vehicle.
That’s right, just climb on out of the car.
And take a look around,
really look at your surroundings. 


Find a focal point of some kind,
something that stands out in your field of view.
For the next five to ten minutes,
just look at it, all right? 

And, while you’re looking,

B R E A T H E.

Just BREATHE, deeply.
In and out, in and out.
Yes, that’s it!
You’ve got it! 

 I promise you, the more deeply you breathe,
the more you’ll see. 

 And the more you see,
the more you’ll relax. 

And the more you relax,
the more you will find yourself in tune —
in tune with life,
in tune with yourself,
in tune with the God who made you. 

Who knew just B R E A T H I N G could reap such rich rewards?

We were barreling down the road to get from Maine to New Hampshire on the first
day of this wild month,
when we spied something pretty off on the other side of the road.

We turned the car around and stopped.
And we looked. And we breathed it all in, deeply.
And the rest of that trip just flew by! 

For the first time in many, many weeks – joining this with Sandy King’s Still Saturday group, hosted this month by the fabulous Patricia Hunter:

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Comments

  1. yes, exactly what I needed
    the breath, the beauty
    the permission
    thank you!

  2. Diana, you and I have so much in common! I HOPED to be driving up to Susan Jones’ in northern MN late next week. And the trees along that 550 miles sometimes really pop out gorgeously and the birds are usually flying in huge groups this time of year. I hit the road sides rather often just to take the pictures of them. NOW? Monday I’m leaving for Denver, a 550-ish drive about the same as Susie’s, BUT almost no trees, almost nothing [except the occasional sloping that indicates mountains coming, but not until heading into Denver. I WILL pull over and take a photo any time I see what I think will be a good reminder.

    YOU got it good!!! Loved it and glad you were having fun. I’ll have a fun 3 days with friends/family, but then driving back on Friday. The best part of the drive to Denver on Monday is that I gain an hour. The worst part on Friday, as heading home to my hubby, is I LOSE and hour about 300 miles from home.

    Sorry to yammer so long, but, obviously, you grabbed my heart with your pictures and your trip. Bless you Diana.

  3. Just got back from “breathing” to find this

    refreshing, oh so true, oh so good
    our caregiver had some time to give this a.m.
    I could have done a million things.
    so I sat by the lake, wrapped up in a blanket
    on a folding chair and breathed.
    God met me there.
    Davids words in psalm 138 made it into my heart
    And I feel hope for the journey once again.

    (we have someone who lives with us in exchange for 10 hours a week elder care. She has been here 6 weeks and she is an angel.)

    • Oh, Carol!! I am so glad to read about this caregiver! And so very glad you had some time to yourself, to just sit and stare and BREATHE. Thanks for letting me know.

  4. The God who gave us breath showed us how to BE STILL and breathe in the goodness and the peace and the quiet. I love the quiet. Used to have the radio on or the television, now I enjoy the quiet. It is refreshing to a ‘soul’.

  5. Gorgeous!!! Yesterday, Louis surprised me by taking me on a drive down some back country roads to see the wild daisies and goldenrod he’d seen from the air earlier this week. {His job involves going up in a helicopter several times a month} I had no idea that we’d be gone for a couple of hours, because he didn’t tell me where he was taking me, so I didn’t even grab my phone. It was such a gift. Just the beauty of God’s creation, sunshine and fresh air. Hope you are having a delightful weekend, my beautiful friend.

    • What a lovely surprise, Patricia! (But tell him, in future, to make sure that he’s tucked one of your cameras in the car beforehand, okay?) And what in the world does he do in a helicopter? Those things scare me to death. :>)

  6. Gorgeous – you would think we have been reminded enough times to stop and breathe – I say it often myself – yet this stopped me and made me pause. Yes, I will go sit on the porch and enjoy the colors and the leaves drifting down, the chilly breeze, whispering snow to come. Thank you!

    • Thank you, Maureen. I have to say all these things to myself, regularly. We’re all slow learners, it seems. Enjoy the view, wherever you are!