Night Song

Last night, as I lay in bed next to Anthony, I found myself just listening to him breathe. You don't realize, until you stop to think about it, how comforting it can be to listen to someone breathing. The rhythmic sounds of Anthony’s inspired and expired breaths, flowing in measured intervals, are like the notes of a lullaby  he sings just for me. He is the only one who knows this song, and I am the only one who hears it sung each and every night. 

When I toss and turn in the middle of the night, my sleep interrupted by the absurdities of life in this unpredictable world of ours, the first thing I hear when I open my eyes is the predictable sound of Anthony's breathing. Sometimes, I wake to hear his song building to a crescendo, so I hang on to the swells and pretend I’m riding on a cloud in the middle of a late summer’s breeze. Other times, I wake to near silence and I have to cuddle up close to hear his delicate, pianissimo breath sounds. As I lay my head upon his chest, it’s like putting my ear to the ground and listening for the seedlings of early spring to break through the soil....All the strength and power of life in a mere whisper. 

Breathing is pretty miraculous, if you ask me. Unless we experience some sort of illness or other condition that makes it (breathing) difficult, most of the time, we take for granted the fact that we breathe...continuously, automatically, effortlessly. Occasionally, we may focus our attention upon the breath as part of a relaxation or meditation exercise. You know, like when we concentrate on taking deeper, slower breaths. But that’s about as far as it goes. Most of us don’t think about the actual process of respiration...the exchange of gases that takes place in the tiny air sacs of the lungs. And it all happens in an instant, all day long, while we’re going about our business talking, working, cooking dinner, balancing the check book, smelling a rose, petting the dog...and it continues, all through the night, while we are sleeping.

Yes, the sound of Anthony’s breathing through the night settles me, comforts me, lulls me to sleep...again and again. It’s a song I once took for granted, but now, it has become one of my favorite symphonies. The sound of him breathing reminds me that he is here, very much alive, today. And, the sound of his breathing keeps my hope alive. After all, it is a miracle.

If you’ve never considered the miracle of respiration, check this out: How We Breathe