Time to Breathe

It's all a juggling act. The writing, the family, the day-to-day. I wouldn't trade it, it feels great when I'm in the zone, and of course I love my family. But I don't always take the time to breathe when I'm feeling overwhelmed. Meditation isn't for everyone, and I am certainly nobody's guru, but I can often get myself back on track with 5 or 10 minutes of focused breathing and mindfulness. Wow, that reads like an add for an app, doesn't it?

Stepping away from the weird advertisement vibe, I have a visual aid to help me remember to take that extra minute. Have you seen the Lion King? Seems like I shouldn't have to ask that, as it's had multiple forms since its initial release, including Broadway and spin off cartoons, but anyway... Lion King has a monkey (a Mandrill, to be exact), called Rafiki, who is kind of comic relief and kind of wise guru. Somewhere along the line, I came to own a Rafiki toy, in a meditative pose. I first started taking him to exams when I was in college, I would bring out my pencil and my calculator (if necessary) and my Rafiki. I never had a teacher or professor comment on him, thankfully, because I always felt like he was a necessary part of the process. He had to be on the desk, too. Not stuck in a pocket or my bag, but front and center. I had to take an exam a few weeks ago (yes, even now there are exams that need to be taken, this one was a Portuguese language test), and Rafiki came with me for that one as well. He's showing his age these days, but when he's not on the examination circuit, he sits on my writing desk and reminds me to take a breath. Like right now.