“I CAN… BREATHE!!!” Part One
By Natasha Marie
You’ve been told that you can’t. You’ve chanted it, emphatically stated it and perhaps even yelled it from the street in solidarity and in unison with other peaceful protestors. I’m here to dispel this theory and contrary to popular opinion, YOU…. CAN…. Breathe. As a matter of fact, if you’re reading these words, you’re subconsciously doing it without even realizing it!
Cliché - Take a moment to catch your breath
This has been a season of exasperating challenges. Only the strong at heart can survive this time of perilous trouble. The economy has tanked; our safety has been threatened; the News is a perpetual state of red ticker tape Emergency Broadcasting; loved ones and legends have left us; jobs furloughed and unemployment rates have soared to unprecedented history-making heights; Lysol has literally gone missing in action; our churches have been forced to think outside of the proverbial box AND beyond the familiarity of four walls; our government has been internally attacked from within; our identity has been challenged; our Black men hunted; our young girls trafficked; our education system compromised….. If all of this hadn’t already pushed us “close to the edge” the injustices of white privilege and systemic racism that manifested itself in one too many police brutality incidents – PUSHED US OVER!!!!
Cliché – I won’t hold my breath...
The week that Mr. George Floyd met his untimely demise, I was glued to the tv. I could not look away from the press conferences OR the updates OR the ominousness of looting at the hands of Antifa activists. Even though I chose not to ever watch the full 8 minutes, the image of George Floyd on the ground has been unavoidable. It’s nearly impossible to evade seeing the moment this murderer’s knee, pressed George’s neck into the pavement while he begged for air; an image that’s beyond horrifying as a spectator.
Cliché – He took his last breath
One night, I made the mistake of leaving my television on the CNN channel while drifting off to sleep. I woke up in a panic because I was being chased like prey in my dream. It was a very vivid nightmare and yet, I have never been one to have nightmares. The constant barrage of bad news and dark COVID updates left an indelible impression upon my brain. For this reason, I had to take drastic measures to overcome this darkness.
Cliché’ – Waiting with bated breath…
That next day, after the nightmare episode, I chose to instead play worship music all day long. Now, an entire month later (and still counting), I have managed to daily replace the sound of Governor Cuomo’s voice with melodious worship music, allowing soothing sounds of praise to instead fill my home and infiltrate my spirit.
I opened my windows wide, to let in lots of fresh summer air and during this time of turning away from tv, it was as if I could slowly feel life being massaged back into the space where dark thoughts tried to penetrate and suffocate. I felt so much solitude as I was able to deeply inhale a sense of calm and exhale fear-filled thoughts. This deliberate choice to breathe and take in fresh air caused my life to take a turn for the better, but the enemy of our soul is cunning and sneaky; he absolutely hates our spiritual development and progress. Apparently, he was angry for the ground that I gained after developing a strong handle on my mental and emotional health. My own sense of self-care for an entire month was very simply - to turn OFF the tv (for weeks at a time). This simple act brought so much peace to my world….
Cliché – It was like a breath of fresh air!
During his last moments, in between summoning help from his mommy and from God, he uttered the words “I can’t breathe!” These 3 simple words suddenly sparked a movement that made its way around the globe. To stand against injustice, an outraged world began to declare, as a unified front, that they (like George) could not breathe. George’s last words were that he could not breathe. I implore you to not only breathe but to also change your confession in order to LIVE!
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Natasha Marie, age 45, is the author of a book entitled First Lady Redefined and she is the proud mother of her 16 year old son, Jalen. She works full time at a local insurance agency, but education is her passion and she's also a proud contributing member (or "WOKE Mom") of an organization called M.O.B.B. United (www.mobbunited.org).