Frustrated with politics? Breathe

Breathe. That seems to be the word of the day. I have a couple of friends who have decided to seek medical help in dealing with the sorry state of our politics today. They have told me of waking up in the mornings feeling overwhelming sorrow and despair. Nothing seemed to help, not talking to their friends, not plugging away at their jobs, nothing. So, they both decided to seek professional help. It's helped in that they are still experiencing heartache but now they have a way to cope. Part of their coping mechanism is to breathe. I also feel sorrow at times. My usual way of coping is to write down my thoughts, then get up and do something to help change the situation. Maybe that's the Brooklyn in me. I realize this seems like an absurd easy answer, but apparently, breathing deeply and expanding breath slowly helps. In any case, I will take the suggestion of the professionals and breathe in hope and breathe out despair. As a Catholic (albeit a lapsed one), I have hope the malaise in our country currently will change. It can't get any worse, can it?