Friday Exhale

A breath that belongs only to me

I just walked in,
took off my shoes,
and breathed after a long week.

That first breath felt cleansing…
necessary,
as if my body had been waiting all along.

So I stood with my feet firmly planted on the ground,
rooted,
and inhaled the silence,
the comfort,
the calm that wrapped itself around me.

I felt ease arrive.
I felt the stress of the day, the week,
begin to loosen and quietly slip away.

There was no need to fix or plan or become.
Nothing to reach for.
Nothing to prove.

I stayed.
I breathed.
I centered myself in a moment that was mine
and mine alone.

I gave myself permission to be.
To feel.
To breathe with a fullness
that did not exist outside these walls.

I exhaled the week.
I inhaled serenity.

This is my Friday Exhale.

As the week closed behind me, I let Come Away With Me play…
not as background, but as an invitation.

Author’s Note:
I write to make sense of life’s shifts, soften its edges, and honor the ways we grow through what we experience. If this piece offered you comfort, clarity, or companionship, I’d be grateful if you subscribed to Learn, Grow & Thrive or shared this with someone who might need a gentle reminder today.

With gratitude,
Chellie 🩷