2020, Remembering Love in the Year America Struggled to Breathe

2020 -- Breathing deep -- A God-given opportunity to answer with love.

Our Little Ones

Which of our little ones has not been encircled closely within God’s arms,

loved dearly -- held tightly to his breast --

then sent to mortal battlegrounds to weather earthly trials and tests.

Adored and pronounced priceless -- now at God’s behest --

asked to come to earth, refine their character, and in righteousness progress.

God gave two commandments straight away --

to love God was foremost, and his commandments to obey --

but second to it, and exceedingly needed today --

was to love one another to find joy along the way.

God from the very beginning, began by telling all who would listen and hear --

that each of his children was very precious and dear.

He knew our mortal probation would be exceedingly tough -- a brand new frontier --

needing to love and help each other was made entirely clear.

From our premortal realm God doeth our worth proclaim --

He gave breath to all -- for God loves each the same --

No matter the color, the earthly roots, the name,

We all proceed from God with divine origins to claim.

His angels and all heaven exclaim --

God loves each the same --

each the same.

Written by: Janice Osei-Boamah

Breathe In -- Breathe Out

Take a deep breath America.

Did You Know

When you breathe, your diaphragm and other parts of your body have to move to accommodate the lungs’ expansion?

Sections of your body instinctively move aside so that they might survive by receiving oxygen. They don’t hesitate, stubbornly, wondering why they need to be the one to move. They respond innately, knowing that if they don’t move and give place for the lungs -- they will die along with the body.

In the spirit of cooperation, working together, life is preserved by the harmonious and rhythmic give and take of the bodily processes that support breathing.

Our Bodies Work in a Cooperative Partnership to Allow Us to Breathe

Understandably, so too, different parts of the human race’s body must move aside for others to take a deep breath when they feel the lack of air.

Whether we understand those who long to breathe, agree with their conclusions that they need a breath, or, even if we experienced a life leading to dissimilar judgments about their needs --

Let's exercise tolerance, display compassion, seek understanding, resolve to work together and remember God's commandment to love one another.

A Thought

We live in an imperfect world. Unfairness and injustices will always exist in all forms, for all men and women who live in this world. That is important to recognize for a measure of peace in an imperfect world.

However, we have a moral obligation to work with determination and exhaustive effort toward eliminating inequities where and when we can

Terror is a Result of Not Being Able to Breathe

When faced with the prospect of not breathing -- we feel terror. Each breath we take becomes a reminder we are alive.

Life and the ability to breathe are valuable -- held dear by the owner of it.

My Time With COVID

I remember the fear when I thought I had contracted Covid-19.

After being exposed, I sat in my car on the way home from work -- tears started to fall. I thought, "soon I might not be able to breathe." "I might die."

Two days later -- testing confirmed COVID.

During the waking moments, I felt panicked with even a remote or imagined sign of obstructed breathing.

I laid there -- noticing every twinge in my chest, every pain or discomfort, always wondering about the onset, the instant it would happen -- that I would begin to fight to breathe.

I forced myself to breathe deeply -- frequently -- thinking that perhaps I could stem off anything if I kept my lungs moving at full capacity.

Minutes were long.

Mental turmoil filled my days. I desperately did not want my breathing to be affected. I thought I might lose my mind if I could not draw a full breath.

The thought of how others must be enduring it compelled me to offer prayers for those caught by COVID.

I found myself connecting for the first time with this global pandemic.

I sorrowed over the hardships of others, after and during my time with COVID.

For all my imagination and distress, I never encountered being unable to breathe.

I felt very grateful.

Although I did feel pangs of guilt that I had escaped while some succumbed.

The experience left me a soldier in the fight against COVID. I felt mobilized to comply with the petition to wear a face mask in public, 6-feet of distancing, etc. The recommendations for helping others feel and be safe seemed an acceptable request.

Did You Know

We exchange bad air for good when we breathe, carbon dioxide for oxygen? Our bodies are seeking the good, the life-sustaining things, the things that will promote health and well-being. Our bodies inherently do that.

Every part of our body needs oxygen. It is carried to every section of our bodies to sustain our lives.

If there is a portion of our bodies that cannot receive oxygen -- it will die.

If illness interrupts oxygen flow to some part of our body, that section’s death or strangulation will hinder the whole -- cripple or maim the body. Thus, it is desirable to have a flow of oxygen to all parts of the body. It is worked for by the body.

Assistance at times is needed to cure and restore oxygen reception.

Let Us Suppose

A chunk of humanity cannot take in the necessary oxygen needed to sustain life.

What Then

The human race will become handicapped with impaired function. The whole body agonizes until oxygen is restored.

Even a fragment of humankind is essential.

Evil Has Its Day

Many people watched as an individual sought to deprive a human being of his breath.

We were a nation already steeped in anxiety with unraveling nerves -- terrified of being the one not able to breathe. Then, with horror and sadness and anger, we witnessed a life taken through the deprivation of breath.

We heard him call out in agony for his mom.

Many observed via the internet as this precious brother of ours sunk deeper and deeper toward death, battling to breathe. Our outrage and cries were because he struggled unjustly, unmercifully, and wrongfully in front of our eyes to do that which would have allowed him to live -- breathe.

We could feel it, empathize and moan as a nation over it.

We saw the senselessness, the brutality, the wasting of an irreplaceable fellow human being. It was as if the depriving of breath, the taking of life through malfeasance, had eclipsed and added to our prior horror over an unseen virus that could do the same -- snatch away the breath.

The wailing and weeping were throughout the country. The cold and calculative taking of a man’s life united the nation in grief.

What Then

We became split in our responses to it.

Those with specific life experiences made the act tantamount to restricting their very own breath, and those who empathized and had witnessed prior abuses of power took to the streets, demanding the right to breathe.

These feelings erupted in unhealthy and harmful ways in a few.

Undoubtedly, those who responded differently to this event can search their sympathies and --

• Seek to understand and show compassion,

• Find ways to soothe hearts,

• Help to bring about change,

• Alleviate suffering,

• Stand up against any wrongfully taken actions by those in authority.

Chaos

The streets became scary places. Not because our dear brothers and sisters walked upon them, but because some lost sight of that all-important message.

Mayhem was created in the place of united reasoning, discussion, love, working together for the good of all, and understanding.

They had a right to feel anger, but anger can never continue to drive the ship, which will reach the shore. Uncontrolled and prolonged anger breeds hate, and hate creates cyclical hate, taking you around in circles.

At some point, controlled and level heads must steer the ship to its final destination. Anger does not allow for thoughtful and helpful directional course changes. It shoves its way forward, not allowing for united minds and hearts nor the brainstorming for solutions.

Our Responsibilities

No matter our sufferings in this life, whatever we as humans are called upon to bear through our trials and afflictions, we are never alleviated of the burden of controlling our behavior.

Whatever we reach for, whatever we feel is our rights, though faced with abuse, unfairness, and lack of justice, we still must maintain civility and the accepted laws of a free society sacred for each other’s welfare, or work to change them through peaceful means.

Difficult circumstances can forge a nobility of character when we strive for the best within us.

Diversity and Accountability

Indeed, we all react differently to the same events. There is a diversity of character and experiences in all of God’s children.

Nevertheless, we are held equally accountable for our actions before God and the law. If you commit a hateful crime for the sordid and distorted reasoning that someone is less than you, then you must be punished before the law. If you, although rightfully pursuing change within society, inflict harm and violence upon property or person in your anger, you, too, must be held responsible within the law.

Did You Know

There is a checklist for diagnosing death. The list includes -- checking for a heartbeat and breathing and checking the eyes to see if the pupils are large and unreactive.

Having a heart that is not beating is significant and having eyes that no longer see and don’t react, that is big too. And if we wanted to, we could come up with some powerful symbolism about hearts that don’t beat anymore or eyes that no longer see and don’t react -- but we are talking about breathing.

Breathing is ⅓ of the checklist that determines whether a person is alive or dead. There are three things because they want to ascertain; for sure, there is no life. I’m confident, however, that if you are not breathing, the odds aren’t in your favor, you will survive long.

Breathing is Vital for the Whole Human Race

So, undoubtedly, breathing is indispensable to us all. The determination of life and death uses breathing as a marker.

Therefore, when called upon to move aside for a short time and allow someone else to breathe deeply and expand their lungs, it should not be too hard for us to do.

We give space for them to breathe, and they give space for us to breathe -- cooperation, reconciliation, working together, love, and appreciation/understanding of the diversity of our experiences. It is for our benefit as well as for the body of humankind.

Our bodies, as an example, daily accomplish the marvelous feat of breathing a multiplicity of times a day.

Breathing Works With Complete Equity

Breathing does not brand a person, assign a color to their skin, or paint a large swath of people with a generalization that can be attached to them all.

Breathing is there to give life to everyone.

All people everywhere aspire to breathe.

If we want to move beyond just living to something better, we must recognize and embrace that God gave us life and our breathing out of love; God’s love sustains and enhances life, allowing us to breathe deeply of all the wonders around us.

Love creates unity, happiness, and appreciation of God’s divine gift of diversity. Without love, we will just be breathing in the air. With love, we will be truly breathing in life.

So, breathe deep, America! Let us all, in the spirit of love -- breathe deep.

P.S. The democratic elections of this great nation have taken place, and we are still gasping and gulping down air. I am hopeful we will listen to the harmony and rhythm of our breathing and remember -- love is always the answer.