deep breath

You know that feeling that you get when you take a deep breath and suddenly you feel like everything is going to return to some sense of normalcy again. Either your breathing pattern slows down after a hard workout and you feel like your body is going to remember how to do the normal breathe in-breathe out thing instead of the frantic gasping-for-air thing. Or you are really worked up about something and you catch your breath and the world slows back down to its usual pace. Well, I feel like I'm breathing again. Deep, healthy breaths.
For the past three days I feel like I've been just barely catching my breath. Trying to keep up with the pace of the accreditation visit + some workouts + my own work back in Austin + my grandfather dying and me trying to decide whether or not I could/would make it to the funeral + an ice storm in Dallas. It was all a little surreal and a little crazy making. Or I let it be that way.
At any rate, I'm home. Safe and sound. Icy roads that carried me here are behind me. A wonderful but hurried accreditation visit and report have been put to bed. I'm finding peace with not attending my grandfather's funeral tomorrow. I've unpacked. And I've re-packed (for the day tomorrow). I resumed my normal workout routine by showing up at track practice tonight (note: "showing up" might be the best way to describe what I did with this tired mind and body...but it felt good to have done it). I saw friends. I've talked to friends. I've talked to family. And I'm looking ahead...mostly at bed in a few minutes. My own bed. With a warm comforter (since it's in the 30s here). And some good sleep. Ahh...deep breath.