5 Mar 2021

The toll of this pandemic and re-learning how to breathe

My family did a quick family vacation to Bryce Canyon National Park last weekend. My son Bode is on our local Nordic ski team and we were delighted to explore the whimsical and colorful hoodoos on our skinny skis. I was surprised to see Bode still wore his mask and I told him he didn’t need to wear it because we were in the middle of the forest.

“My mask actually helps me pace myself. I perform better because I’m not overextending and I’m learning how to be more conservative with my breathing.”

I’ve thought a lot about the wisdom of his statement. He hates that mask as much as anyone, especially during those sweltering 100-degree training days. He has not only adapted to his new conditions but he is now able to go farther and faster.

He is re-learning how to breathe.

I watched a video “Happy New You” from The Happiness Project that sheds a powerful light on the toll this pandemic has on our mental health, especially for our youth. It also has a powerful message of hope and resilience. That we haven’t been buried; we have been planted and each of us has a great work.

“You were meant to be more than a human being. You were meant to be more than a human feeling. You were meant to be more than a human dreaming of the mountain and yet living in the valley. You were meant to live, breathe and see through the lens of a human being, happy.”

Author: Amber Johnson

Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.