When it all implodes, explodes, hits the fan, comes to Jesus, goes to hell, unravels, derails, blindsides us, sideswipes us, bowls us over or pulls us under
the breath is still there
starting with the pause after the exhale
that moment where we decide to keep breathing
to keep living
it invites us to sit with the nothingness
to see how it is big enough to hold everything that was
and everything that is
it asks us to allow silence where their words used to be
to listen to all it doesn’t say for as long as we need to until we finally hear the soft beat of our own heart
until we remember how it has never left our side
not even for a moment
it introduces us to the tick-tock of this moment
until we see how the hand of Now reaches for ours
not to replace theirs or to pull us away from them
just to be with us
here where we are
as we are
right now
Monique Minahan 