The Cure for It All

Go gently today, don't hurry
or think about the next thing. Walk
with the quiet trees. Can you believe
how brave they are -- how kind? Model your life
after theirs. Blow kisses
at yourself in the mirror

especially when
you think you've messed up. Forgive
yourself for not meeting your unreasonable
expectations. You are human, not
God -- don't be so arrogant.

Praise fresh air,
clean water, good dogs. Spin
something from joy. Open
a window, even if
it's cold outside. Sit. Close
your eyes. Breathe. Allow

the river
of it all to pulse
through eyelashes,
fingertips, bare toes. Breathe in,
breathe out. Breathe until

you feel your bigness, until the sun
rises in your veins. Breathe
until you stop needing
anything
to be different.

Julia Fehrenbacher, copyright 2017 by the author The Huffington Post, then in She Will Not Be Quiet (e-book, 2017)