…you took your first steps, crawled into your big sister’s bed to hide from thunderstorms or welcomed your baby siblings into the world with cautious enthusiasm?

remember when…your mom let go of your hand on your first day of primary school or when your dad kissed you goodbye upon moving you to university?

remember when…your stomache first filled with butterflies, your endless first kiss, your first moment of intimacy, or your first numbing heartache?

remember when…you graduated, you entered the world naive and vulnerable; when you thought you had become an adult?

remember when…you failed miserably, nearly gave up, felt utterly lost.  darkenly confused?

remember when…you lauged, cried, yelled and celebrated all within the same day?  when you thought there was a possibility of being emotionally insane but then realizing that your imperfections are in fact what make you sane?

remember when….you fell in love with yourself, embraced all of these memories – these moments – and just breathed?

i remember these all very clearly.  i remember breathing for the security of my childhood.  the caring comfort of my parents.  i remember breathing for the exhilaration of young love, early life milestones.  i remember breathing for learning from mistakes, expressing emotions. 

i remember breathing in a sigh of relief when realizing that in being reminiscent of life events makes me utterly appreciative of who and where i am now.