Breathe Your Own Oxygyn

“Breathe your own oxygen first,” my neighbor Jax said as we sat on her hot pink wooden swing in her front yard.  “You can’t do anything about anyone else if you’re not taking care of yourself.”

Jax has a way of knowing the right thing to say or do as a neighbor.  Today, it was just being with me as I processed a sense of sadness despite the beauty of a crisp spring day.  Other times, it has been an amazing bowl of stew. Or flowers on my doorstep. Or a glass of wine.

I’m grateful for someone so empowering and empathetic keeping watch from across the street. I’m glad for her wisdom and sass.

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