Breath Practice
Practices written for specific moments in grief. Choose the one that names where you are.
The breath after the memory hits
For when something — a song, a smell, their name — has just landed.
The breath before you walk back into the house
For the moment in the car, in the driveway, before going back in.
The breath when their name comes up in conversation
For when someone says it and you have to keep your face steady.
The breath at 3am
For when you wake up and remember.
The breath in the shower
A breath that lets you fall apart somewhere private.
The breath before saying no
For when you're about to say yes when you mean no.
The breath before the first message of the day
For the moment you pick up the phone and everything is already waiting.
The breath in the grocery store aisle
For when a small errand becomes suddenly too much.
The breath before you speak their name
For when you're about to tell someone about them.
The breath after you cried in the car
For the minute after, when the world hasn't noticed.
The breath at the kitchen sink
For the ordinary tasks that suddenly ask everything of you.
The breath before you open the message
For the notification you've been avoiding.
The breath before sleep on the hard nights
For the nights the room is too quiet.
The breath before you walk into the room
For the family gathering, the memorial, the doorway that holds too much.