Just breathe

There is one thing that people do all the time and rarely think about appreciating it: breathing. Only when a sudden cold, bronchitis, or other pulmonary issues that affect our respiratory system intervene, only then we miss breathing like we used to.

I experienced such episodes. Often. After 6 months spent in Norway when I was at University, I got a severe cold. After 2 weeks of agonising, my nose was never to be the same. Throughout the years I was "gifted" with hypertrophic rhinitis, allergy and often moments of having flu. I experienced serous otitis because of my noble allergy and it was not easy. My breathing was never the same. I missed having that feeling of normally breathing that I had moments when I made jokes about making exchanges: I will give you my nose happily if you give me your healthy one👃😂

There are many people suffering from much more serious breathing problems than me. Those people power through them and still make the best of life. The idea is to appreciate something even if you don't longer have it at the maximum capacity.

Waking up in the morning and writing this post is only possible because I woke up breathing. Which is an amazing gift in itself. My thrift shop nose, even if it's malfunctioning, is the best nose in the world and I am grateful for it.

This facepainting is an ode to our breathing gift. Our lungs, our nose, our whole respiratory system. You have been doing this since you were born. Everyday. Non stop. I think it is time to take a pause and breath in the air of gratitude. Inhale. Exhale. Damn it feels good👃🙏