Breathe Deeply.

Today is the first morning of Fall 2012.  

Glory to God in the highest.  

I'm sitting with my back door open and I'm actually chilly for the first time in months.  But I don't dare to close the door because I've got my coffee and I'm enjoying the first shivers of the season.  I'm sure in a few months I'll be tired of shivering, but for right now, it's perfect.  

My house is slightly stirring.  Little people have come asking for breakfast and are delighting in Saturday morning slowness.  We have all had a busy week and we need this morning of recovery.  Sure, there are several things on my to-do list and a lot of things looming in the week ahead, but for right now, I'm breathing deeply.  

I'm breathing in the fact that I and surrounded by some very nice and kind people, and I remember that I need to exhale the same goodness to others.  

I'm breathing in because fall is here, and exhaling the summer that brought so many changes to our family dynamic. 

I'm breathing in this day, and exhaling the stress that these past few weeks have brought to our schedules and routines.  

Life is so fleeting.  My kindergartner already seems so big and she's only been in school a handful of days.  I think she's growing in her sleep because I can't keep up with how much she's changed.  It seems like just yesterday her sister was that small.  

Sometimes I think I hold my breath during the craziness of life.  I forget how to practice the in-and-out daily reflecting and counting of our many blessings.  

If I don't stop and catch my breath once in a while, I'm going to miss it all. 

So, I'm going to continue to sit here for a little while longer.  I'm going to listen to the repetitive sounds of the river, I'm going revel in the shivers, and I'm going to enjoy this moment.  

I think it's past time for a lot of us to stop and breathe deeply.