hold your breath.

keep holding. hold it. almost there! H O L D.

ok, you’re over the bridge and luck is now on your side. phew, what a relief!

Or, maybe you’re a tunnel kind of luck seeker? I can’t tell you when, but I remember as a child, first hearing that bridges could bring luck if I held my breath. If it’s that easy to ensure luck, than I.AM.IN!

Imagine: a long family car ride scattered with bridges and the occasional tunnel ~ a path filled with easy luck by simply holding ones breath.

Why would this be what brings us luck? Besides a myriad of stories from history and friends who follow a similar belief or childhood habit, I’ve put my own thought into this over the past few years. While subconsciously holding my breath over bridges or deeply inhaling with lengthy exhales until I’ve completely exited the structure of luck, I have my own theory of why I continue to superstitiously follow suit. A much more relevant theory to my current stage of life, but a theory nonetheless.

Here it is : These spans, from one piece of land to another that make us pause in our breathing, are conduits. Besides being structural necessities – they tether us from one state of being to another, not only physically but also metaphorically. For instance, as this is being written, I am home. In the comfort of my own abode – braless, in cozy haphazard clothing, folding laundry and drinking wine while I mindlessly divulge in the latest Netflix documentary on some corrupt millionaire. Tomorrow, after I turn myself into a professional with a flip of the hair and a click of the heels, I head to work. With each bridge I cross, a deep breath is taken as if it were a daily vitamin or an extra puff of air on my inhaler.

I N H A L E.     E X H A L E.     bringing luck into the other half of my life – the working life.

For years, I’ve had various conversations and deep thoughts about work and life and the balance… or lack thereof. There is life outside of work where bras are optional, kids snuggle you, dinners are at a reasonable time and at an actual table – followed by a family walk and parenting jokes with neighbors. The house is a mess and so is your hair. And then there is work – where you have to prove yourself, adjust your manners, check for lipstick on teeth, tame wild hair, and clients, turn on your camera, shovel in lunch so you can ‘get back at it’, reach goals that start with $ signs, and maintain a decent sense of where-with-all… with confidence and (what often feels like) a permanent smile.

Each side of the bridge has its perks and its downfalls. Each side holds a space for a different version of myself. While the bridge may be mostly responsible for physically getting me to and from point A and point B, I also feel the pull of luck carrying me to each destination. One way, it’s a boost of energy and excitement, giving me the luck I need to conquer the day. The other way, it’s a much longer exhale allowing me to release any stress from the day and shake off the ridgidness that easily seeps into my bones, while at work. The other way gives me the luck I need to relax and expend any extra energy on the familial crew awaiting my arrival.

Whether you’re driving over an actual bridge or through a metaphical tunnel, there is a change that happens between work and life, an adjustment in mindset, environment, and ocassionally – wordrobe. The entrance and exit from one space to another – with a welcoming sunrise to a ‘pat-on-the-back’ sunset. The breath needed while seeking balance. Thank you, BRIDGE – for giving me that breath I need for both sides… for helping me see you as the important tether riddled with just the right amount of luck, a moment in time. Morphing. Tying work to life and life to work.

WordPress #wordprompt of the month : BRIDGE