I'm sure it was similar to the one I took soon before letting out my first cries at birth
You suck all the oxygen you can squeeze in your tiny lungs, raising your shoulders with all your might
And with the release of all the tension you could muster in your body, you let it it out
Breathing out all of the anger and frustrations of your newly beginning life in one fluid huff of air
Out of your mouth and into the world
Declaring your life, declaring your existence to all
Just like the day I did when I was first born,
I breathed my first breath standing in the stillness of Denali, Alaska
Basking in the silence, standing amongst the most magnificent view
Crisp, cool air
Fresher than your favorite t-shirt, straight from the dryer onto your skin
I sucked the air into my lungs, as if I never had before
And with the warm sun in my face, and a snow capped mountain in my sight, I let it go
A year's worth of anger and frustrations, released in a burst of warm air, straight from my lungs and into the sky
Since that day, I've craved the stillness
The feeling of being so small amongst towering mountains and dense trees
To wake up to birds chirping, animals scurrying
No cell phone service, no TV
Completely disconnected from the world around you, as if you have traveled back in time and it's just you
You and the clouds and the sky and the surroundings that encompass you with every step you take
It's healing to stop time
To separate yourself from the hustle and bustle
The people around you
It's healing to reflect on your life in the utter silence, breathe in the morning's air
And sift through your problems one footstep at a time, with no destination in mind
I miss Alaska and all the places I have never been
The clearness of my mind, the chapped skin on my lips
I miss the sky-high mountains, my unforgettable point of view
But above all these things mom, I miss you.
