Daily Archives: September 25, 2007

Every Breath You Take

by Lori Pyne

As I look at my long to-do list, I can feel my shoulders tensing, my stomach clenching and a headache lurking. Even if I forego sleep, I doubt I’ll finish the must-do, much less the really important stuff. I take a deep breath and exhale. I then stop my spinning thoughts and take another deep breath. I hold that breath and slowly release it. Some of my tension seeps away.

I draw in another breath and the image of a family friend crosses my mind. Deep breathing isn’t one of Cathy’s stress busters. Since her birth, Cathy has fought for her every breath. Cathy does not let her cystic fibrosis control her life. She’s received advanced degrees, works at a day job and exercises. Yes, exercises. Each difficult step after difficult step for three miles everyday.

Of course, she has to be in shape in case a lung is found for her. There’s motivation.

I draw in another deep breath. This list of mine suddenly doesn’t seem as impossible as it did just a moment before. I take another deep breath and start working.

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Lori Pyne is a member of OCC, and a multi-tasking volunteer. She is currently serving as one of our Online Class Moderators, Guest Reception Coordinator and Coordinator for the Book Buyers’ Best Contest for published authors. She is married with one son, and works full time for an entertainment law firm.