Essay: Breathing Lessons

Life is upside down at the moment, but I am pausing to share that my essay “Breathing Lessons” has been published in Longridge Review. Here is an excerpt:

I sat still out of necessity, although I was no older than six, trying to breathe no deeper than a puddle, no deeper than a thimble, no deeper than spilled milk. 

The straight-back wooden chair was upright. I was alone, but I could hear my mother’s voice in my head coaching, encouraging me to sit up straight, stay calm, breathe in, breathe out. 

In a room somewhere distant, the sound of my sister and playmates bubbled, rising and falling like laughter, alongside the undertone of adult voices. Life carried on.

You can read the full essay here: https://longridgereview.com/brenna-sowder/