Moments

It's been too busy around here this week to sit still.

At one point this afternoon, while (almost literally) running from place to place, the adrenaline rushing through my body in response to the urgency with which I needed to complete all my tasks, my mind mentally crossing off the "done" ones and lining up the "next" ones, a visual thought flashed like lightening, interrupting the To Do list. And it changed everything.

. . .

I was in the middle of a large pool.
Floating on my back, arms outstretched.
Eyes closed.
Breathing.
Feeling my body rise to the surface as my lungs filled with air. Sinking below as I exhaled. Seeing how far I could let myself go before I needed another breath.
With my only thoughts on breathing -- marveling at it, actually -- all other concerns fell away.

. . .

As I approached the building, cognition turned to sensation. I no longer thought of tasks or time. I heard my heels clicking on the sidewalk in a brisk rhythm; I felt the crisp air tingling my cheeks; I looked up and saw bright sunlight, blinding me to all the unimportant details of my physical surroundings.

. . .

Inhale, float.
Exhale, sink.
But not too much.
Inhale, float.
Exhale, sink.

. . .

And everything fell into place.