12 Comments

“I forget to breathe.” Ooof, Shelley, this piece is heartbreaking and beautiful. It captures so well the difficulty of watching a child struggle from the fierce love of a mother. Thank you for sharing.

Glad to have met you in the voice class. :)

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So glad to have met you too Holly. Thank you for taking the time. ✨💗

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Gorgeous, Shelley. So personal but also touching and meaningful to so many others. Thank you for getting it into the world 🩷

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Thank you, Stacy. 💗✨💗

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Loved this. I too have a son trying to find his own way in the world. He still lives at home. For now. No mental illness but struggle for sure. So introverted that he would rather just be at home. Teaching and guiding him gently. When I think about him growing into his own, I too forget to breathe and remember it’s ok to let go.

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Thank you for taking the time to share. I found some comfort in understanding about being introverted by reading Susan Cain's book, "Quiet". I think she has a Substack too. Sending extra oxygen to you. xx

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Wow. Amazing poem. I too have a son challenged with mental illness that is staying with me right now and my heart skipped along stanza by stanza with yours.

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Thank you Anna. We can talk about it someday. You are not alone. xx

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I think I wrote this years ago. “I forget to breathe.” I’m trying to remember it more these days. It’s not easy to separate ourselves from them, remembering that they are individuals, with their own journeys. It is a painful process. I don’t know if it’s even possible.

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We can remind one another. I'm so glad we are connected. The power of the Universe! xx

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Oh, Shelley… thank you for sticking with this to get this piece out into the world. Lovely. Resonant.

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Thank you, Wendy. xx

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