A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Andy Moore

In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to the Sooner State to connect with Andy Moore.

We discuss whether America is a noun or a verb.

He runs Let's Fix This, a nonpartisan civic hub for Oklahoma, and serves as executive director of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers.

We also discuss voting and the power of witnessing who comes and goes at gas stations and seeing that we are all just trying to get by. In that ordinary moment, it's hard to miss how alike we really are.

You can discover more about Andy via his website.

You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace.

Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.”

We can also connect on LinkedIn.

Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.

Hey there. It's Michael. Welcome to Whole Again, the show that's here in support of you creating a meaningful life and the person you're becoming. And I'm excited to share a new series with you that will air this summer as America turns 250 years old, which is still pretty young relative to many other countries across this big blue marble that we all share.

The series is called A Perfectly Imperfect Union. In 2022, I rode my bike across America from Astoria, Oregon, to the Lincoln Memorial. My wife drove our RV, and she had two co-pilots, Jester and Hope, two springer spaniels And when we did it, America was coming out of the pandemic and we were hurting.

Hurting from things that had happened prior to the pandemic, of course, going through what we all went through. And at that time, and this is something I still believe today, is that we were entering an inflection point. An inflection point for us to hopefully pause, breathe, and reflect on who we wish to become as individuals, as communities, and as a country.

As I pedaled across America, I wanted to share America's beauty with others, her natural beauty and the beauty of her people. And I also wanted to share where we were hurting As America turns 250, I believe Kintsugi, which is something we use as a metaphor here at Whole Again, is a perfect metaphor for where we are as a country.

There's so much beauty to celebrate, and we can also acknowledge that parts of us feel broken or are broken, but we can find a way to come back together, just like Kintsugi teaches us. And when we do, we don't try to erase or cover up where we have scars or blemishes. We highlight them in gold, and we celebrate them as symbols of our strength and resilience.

Kintsugi is called the golden repair, and in essence, we can see beauty in something that's perfectly imperfect. During this series, I plan to speak to at least two people in each state and the District of Columbia. So 102 conversations with real folk, as I like to say. We're going to let the celebrities and the big influencers have their day somewhere else.

But here, I want to reach out and talk to real people and listen to their reflections as they think about America turning 250 years old. And my hope is, is that you'll tune in to at least one, if not all 102. Because my theory going into this is that you'll hear different perspectives. Some may be aligned with yours.

Others may not. But my hope is that you hear the goodness in your fellow citizens and realize, as Maya Angelou shared with us, we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. I've had the privilege of traveling all over the world and all over this country.

And this belief is something that I hold deep inside of me. So yes, I do believe that we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. So if you're ready to meet one of your fellow neighbors who is perfectly imperfect like all of us, take a healthy breath in and a slow releasing breath out and get to know Andy Moore.

Andy, my friend, thanks for joining me here on A Perfectly Imperfect Union. How the heck are you today? 

I'm great, Michael. Thanks for having me on. I'm really excited to be here. 

I am pumped that you're on, and you're a recommendation from one of our previous guests, Ashley. So she, she was reaching out and was like, "Hey, you should talk to Andy," and I'm so, I'm so thankful that we get to connect.

I know where you happen to be is an election day, and you have your I Voted sticker on, so thanks for doing, um, your part in helping us become a more perfectly imperfect union. And I've had a chance to read up on you, uh, but for those that don't know you, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and where- Do you happen to be calling in from today?

Sure. Yeah. Thanks, Michael. Uh, I'm calling in from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It-- Today is the primary runoff election in Oklahoma. And although Oklahoma has closed primaries, uh, so normally this wouldn't be that exciting for an independent voter like myself, but we have two state questions on the ballot today, uh, that I've been pretty involved in.

And so it's, uh, it's always a good day for democracy when you get to go to the ballot box and actually get your voice heard. So, uh, in Oklahoma, I, I run an in-state organization here called Let's Fix This. We're a bit of a civic hub for Oklahoma. It's a nonpartisan, uh, 501(c)(3) organization, really trying to get people involved, get them more educated and more engaged in the electoral process and, and advocacy at the state, uh, level.

Just really just get more involved. Whatever it is that you do right now, we want you to do a little bit more. We want to make it fun and easy. Um, in addition to my work here in Oklahoma, I also am the executive director of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers, which is a bit of a mouthful.

We like to call it NANR for short. Uh, and we are-- NANR is, uh, essentially a, a national network of organizations working on issues related to what we call electoral reform. So these are things like open primaries, ranked-choice voting, money in politics, um, all of the systems about really who gets to vote and how we vote, uh, and try to, you know, modernize those for the twenty-first century.

Love it. Oh, that's, uh, that's a-awesome work. A great ripple effect that you're putting in-into the world. So, you know, we live in a big country. Uh, I, it really hit home when I was riding my bike across the country a few years ago. And I am on the East Coast, so I think a lot of East Coasters would consider Oklahoma a flyover state.

You know, and probably people have not been to Oklahoma. 

Sure. 

But, so for those that haven't been to Oklahoma, what's something that's really cool about it that people just don't know about? We know the Oklahoma Thunder, right? Yeah. Um, and we, we might know tornadoes and that type of word association, but You know, sell Oklahoma to us if you can.

Yeah. That's great. I mean, from a-- I'm also a cyclist, and so from a cycling perspective, our state is really interesting, especially if you're going east to west, uh, because Oklahoma has seven, uh, ecological zones. So for every hundred miles you travel east to west, you gain about a hundred feet in elevation and you- and another inch of rain.

And so as you kind of go... Or excuse me, you lose an inch of rain going east to west, uh, as it gets higher. Uh, but it, it means that we have this really diverse ecological system from, you know, the swamps and kind of a Louisiana style in the southeastern part of the state. You get the Ozarks, um, the s- you know, Great Plains for a huge chunk of it, some mountains, and then as you get up to the northwest, you're really approaching kind of an almost an arid high desert vibe out there in the Panhandle.

Uh, and so people forget about it. They think it's a flyover state, and maybe it is if you're going to the other side. But if you wanna take the time to drive across it, you will get to see some of the most diverse, uh, diverse, uh, ecological systems in the entire country. 

Oh, that is so cool. So I have been to Oklahoma, but I have not ridden my bike in Oklahoma yet.

And so I have a goal And my goal is to complete this goal by next year, is to ride my bike in every state in the union. 

Yeah. 

And so Oklahoma has not been conquered yet. So when we get closer, I'm gonna reach out, and I'll-- I'd love to get your thoughts about, "Okay, if I'm gonna do a ride in Oklahoma, what ride should I do?"

So I- Yeah ... I love it. So I can't wait to take in a- all that the state can have, uh, have-- has to offer. So that's really cool. 

In the spring, one of the things that Oklahoma has to offer when it comes to cycling is really great gravel courses. Um, there's a great gravel race, uh, in March every year called Mid South.

Uh- Oh, yeah ... I- that, that's the race that I do every year. Um, I've seen, I've seen national political figures riding their bikes out there as well. Um, it's just the best vibes. It's really great country. Um, it's, uh, it's a great event. So if you are interested in gravel, I'll, I'll give you the, the, uh, link to register for that.

I will-- Uh, like, let's make that h- happen. Would love to turn the pedals with you. I just got back this past weekend from Nebraska. I was out there for, uh, in, in Lincoln, Nebraska, for Gravel World. So- 

Oh, 

yeah ... um, yeah. So I'd, I, yeah, would love to do Mid South. That'd be awesome. But we digress into cycling.

Let's get back to America- ... and, uh, this great country of ours. So I've been asking people in the series what America means to them, and so how would you respond to that question? 

Yeah, I mean, that's-- we're such at a interesting crossroads to try to answer that question, and I feel like for myself, my answer would've been probably vastly different even, you know, 10 or 15 years ago than it is now.

And as, you know, I was preparing for today's conversation, I, you know, thought about all the Kind of typical answers, right? That America is a melting pot and it's a place of opportunity and all these things. Um, and I, I- somewhat informed by the work I do in democracy, I think of America as, um, like I work in progress.

And it's, it is certainly a noun, um, but much like I think about democracy as a verb, I am starting to think about America as a verb, right? As more of an action word, that it is not just some place we live or that we're from, but it is this ... Gosh, it's like, it's like a term for a society that we get to co-create together every day in the big and little decisions we make of how we live.

And I know that most people don't think about it from, in this way, and maybe this is, hopefully this is novel and helpful. But I, I think that when we, when we ... What it means to be an American is to, is, is what it means to be a person, right? To be someone who is evolving, who is learning, who's getting better ideally every day, every year is not our best.

But hopefully over the, over the course of our lifetime, right, we have a chance to enter this world and leave it better than we found it. 

Oh, I love that, Andy. I, I love that action part of it. It's also A, a little bit messy, America as- Yeah ... as a country, as, as a process. But we too, as humans, are a bit messy.

We, we don't grow in a linear way. It's not all up and to the right on a PowerPoint slide, you know, as far as progress. Right. Right. It's, uh... Sometimes we take three steps forward, and sometimes we take five steps backwards, and we twist and turn. But, but at any given point, there's action. There's something happening.

So I, I love that whole like, is it a noun or is it a verb? Uh, like no one's, no one's served it up in that way. So yeah, I totally appreciate what you're talking about. That's awesome. 

Well, and I, you know, I think about it when you think... I, my kids are entering their teenage years, and I think about it a lot with them, where we all, as people, uh, understand ourselves both from our own internal processes that are often myopic and kind of skewed in our own weird ways, but we also understand ourselves in how we are reflected in the opinions of others.

And I think especially these last few years, and maybe especially this year, we have been, as a country, much more cognizant of how America is perceived by the rest of the world, right? Whether it's, whether it's the war in Iran, whether it's the World Cup, uh, whether, you know, news headlines to all this stuff, I think we have a different appreciation for who we are as a country now, and that informs ideally like the decisions we make and how we kind of evolve together as a country of, of the idea of who do we wanna be when we grow up as a country, I think is something that we should all be kind of wrestling with and hopefully working towards, uh, a shared vision for the future.

Yeah, I think we can thank Canada, because when the Canadians are sort of like looking down at us like, "Uh, what happened to you guys?" You know, I think we... It, it woke us up. But also all the other things that you also share, I think it's a great awakening in some ways to say, hey, you know, how are we perceived, both good, bad, and indifferent?

And do we wanna take, again, the verb action to make sure that we're perceived in the way that we wish to, as I think any human wants to. So I know a lot of people in, in this country have a family origin story of immigration, although there are plenty of families here that were here well before it was known as America and the United States of America, and some families have come here, forced here, through slavery.

So we all have- Different family stories as it relates to this country and this land. Do you know much about, Andy, your family's origin story with the country? 

Yeah, I do, especially on my mom's side. And honestly, during COVID, this is 'cause I did, I had some free time and did a bit of a deep dive into ancestry.

Uh, and so I think, um, you know, my story is not particularly unique. Um, but, you know, my, uh, ancestors moved, you know, came over here from, uh, England pre-America, but kind of in the colonial stage there. And, you know, they're ... If you go back far enough, right, it's a long story where there, you have ancestors who seem to have owned slaves.

Like that's a, you know, certainly a dark spot on my family history. Um, and you know, before that were involved in government. In, in fact, one of my ancestors wrote the, the English law related to nonprofits, and so I felt it's somewhat prescient that I end up working in nonprofits now. 

Yeah. 

But in between there, right, in between the 1700s and the, you know, 2010s or 2020s now, obviously a lot has happened.

And the, the family that I probably most closely understand, right, the last two or three generations that I actually knew going back to my great-grandparents all grew up in East Texas or Northwest Louisiana. And in many cases it was, it is not an illustrious story. My grandfather grew up as the son of a, a sharecropper in East Texas.

They frequently had, you know, cohabitated with families of, of former slaves and worked alongside them in the fields, and I think that definitely shaped my grandfather's, you know, worldview. He, uh, when he came of age, he joined the Air Force and, um, was a firefighter in the Air Force for a long time. Um, always came back to Texas.

That was always home, uh, until just the last few years of his life when they moved up here to Oklahoma. Uh, but getting to drive around with him in his pickup truck in East Texas and, you know, we'd go fishing in creeks and lakes out there, and he would tell me stories from his childhood of the people he knew and, you know, the house with no plumbing, the house with dirt floors that we could still drive by.

And so for me at least, my, my understanding of the world was rooted in this, um- like shared narrative that, that w- w- in order to build a more perfect union, like it takes all of us, and it often means that you are working alongside people who you have otherwise very little in common, um, until you sit down to get to know them, right?

And, and I think he, my grandfather especially, really instilled in me the sense that, that none of us are any better than anybody else. It doesn't matter how much money you have. Uh, what matters most is like the kindness in your heart. And in some ways, I mean, it is like a, you know, a, a bootstrappy kind of element, and that's certainly his story.

I don't think he was disparaging against folks that, you know, were dealt a more difficult hand in life. But he, I think, understood that y- we're all doing the best we can, and we should help one another out. 

We're all trying to figure this thing out as we travel through space, and we should lend a hand to our fellow neighbor Daily, not just in times of crisis.

We're good coming together when there's a crisis, when there's a natural disaster. But so w- with that, if it, it's, if that's part of us, which I do believe that's part of us, then I- we have the ability to extend it when we don't have a crisis, just day in and day out, you know, 'cause we, we still need each other to make sense of this journey that we happen to be on.

And so this year in particular, but over the last, you know, couple decades, it feels like we're apart. We're, we're pulling apart. Your work is trying to bring us together, feel more connected, feel more like a union. Are, are there times, though, even though we feel somewhat divided, where you feel really connected to your fellow American, your fellow neighbor?

Even if you happen to be in a group where you know that there are different points of view here, um, but we still like, we're sort of part of the same team. 

Yeah. Yes, there definitely are, and I think, uh, I benefit from the perspective of living in Oklahoma. Uh, here in my office where I'm, where I'm at today is just a few blocks from the Oklahoma City National Memorial, where the, the Oklahoma City, uh, Murrah Federal Building was bombed in 1995.

And I, I walk over there frequently during lunch in kind of, um, a bit of a pilgrimage or as a moment to clear my head and think about where we've been. And, you know, one of the stories that came out of the Oklahoma City bombing was the phrase the Oklahoma Standard, um, that when... It's like, uh, the, the term is a reference to Oklahomans' willingness to show up for one another, um, and provide resources, provide kindness, provide help, um, money, whatever it is, when our neighbors need the help.

And certainly you mentioned, you know, tornadoes. We see that every storm season, every spring. Um, no matter how big or small the storm season is, somebody in our state's getting hit, um, and we as a community have to show up. Uh, and then lately I've been thinking about this a lot in two specific places. Um, one is the grocery store and the other is the gas station And I, uh, you know, I get in the habit of going to the same couple of gas stations most of the time, but over the last few weeks, I've made a, a kind of an in- intentional effort to get fuel up at different gas stations other than the one that's nearest my house because I...

There's something about people at gas stations that I always like, and some of this is when I was in high school, I worked at a Subway sandwich shop that was in a gas station. And so just seeing the cross-section of society that comes in, 'cause everybody's gotta fuel up their cars, right? And so whether it's a guy driving his riding lawnmower up there or somebody in a semi-truck, you know, a station wagon, a, you know, Lexus SUV, whatever it is, they're coming in and just looking around at all of us and it's...

I mean, where else can you say, like, we're all just doing this thing as best we can, right? 

We all, we n- all need some fuel, right? 

Yeah, we all need fuel, and, you know, we're... Everyone's kind of in their own little world. They're thinking about what's on their to-do list, their family- Yeah ... whether their dog is in the backseat, their kids are in the backseat.

Somebody wants a soda. Somebody needs a cup of coffee. Do I get a slice of pizza? There's all this... We're just these little... It's like, um, you know, a celestial, uh, international station where you're passing between universes, and we're all just there for a few minutes, and to get to see everybody and kind of wonder what their story is, and in some cases, if you're feeling bold, talk to them and get to hear that story.

But you really realize that at our most basic level, we're all the same. Like, we're all just doing the exact same thing, trying to get by, and I... There is some, for me at least, there is some real beauty in that, that, that we... It's a great, uh, kind of leveler, right? Like, equalizer, so that w- you realize that The-- We're all pumping our own gas.

We're all just trying to get by. And I, and I think now, you know, you can see everyone kind of roll their eyes and, uh, exhale deeply at the price of gas right now. And when you realize that everybody, whether it's, you know, the single mom in a, in a dilapidated vehicle who's trying to get by or it's, you know, a, a wealthy guy, everyone's getting hit in a little bit differently.

And certainly, that burden is different on different people. But, um, to be able to experience together, I think there's something important there. 

Yeah, no, I love that. I love that perspective. In those everyday moments, still an opportunity to connect with other people. 

Yeah. Same thing with the grocery store, right?

Like- Yeah, yeah. 

Yeah ... 

everybody, everybody buys tomatoes or, you know, lettuce- Yeah ... or whatever. And so just watching everybody kinda live their life is real funny to me. 

Yeah, no, I think that's awesome. I like, I love that. Tho-those moments are... Uh, certainly, we can just fly through them, but it is a chance to connect in a way.

And speaking of connection, I'm using the Japanese art form of Kintsugi as a metaphor for this series, uh, actually for my whole podcast, where, you know, we might break, the pottery might break, but we can put it back together and then paint those seams with gold, and they become our symbols of strength and resilience.

So in this way, is there something, Andy, you would work on, that you would choose to work on that could help us connect, heal, and possibly grow in that Kintsugi spirit to help us feel more connected as a union? 

Yeah. I, I mean, I'm somewhat biased 'cause this is my actual work, but I have spent a lot of time over the last decade, um, working on electoral reform.

And prior to that, my background's in mental health. I was a, I'm a licensed counselor. I did marriage counseling for 10 years and worked in public health for 10 years. And after working with individuals and communities really got to a point where I saw that the things that were dividing us were not about us as individuals or even at the community level, but often were policy decisions that were well-meaning in the beginning, but had kind of lost their, their positive impact.

And so specifically, I think about things like closed primaries, which is, you know, I'm, I'm maybe not every voter out there is thinking about this the way that I do. But the fact that, you know, our electoral system as a country started off where political parties chose their nominees kind of in private smoke-filled rooms and that whole thing, and the, the voters weren't really allowed into that process.

It was kind of the party bosses making those decisions. And then in the late 1960s, that began to switch, and by 1968 had really wholesale change where parties were using the elec-election process to hold primary elections Uh, but it's still often those are limited to the members of, of political parties.

And what we see now is that there's a, a f- the fastest growing group of voters are unaffiliated or independent voters who say, "Listen, I, you know, I... You're fine existing as a party, but I don't wanna be a part of it." But then the way that the whole election process is built is built around these, these, especially two large parties.

And so there's this growing segment of voters who are disenfranchised from participating, and that makes them feel like outsiders. It makes them feel like their voice doesn't matter. And it also promotes this, like, divisiveness between the two parties 'cause they're jockeying for a position of, of power to win and not about governing.

And so there's a growing body of research that really demonstrates that having open primaries where every voter is allowed to vote is a great way to actually heal some of those divides because it lets all of us participate in a shared project. Like, we all are trying to elect the leaders, and when we all have a say in it and have some skin in the game, it makes for a more, uh, level playing field, and it makes Americans feel like their vote matters again, which is something that we have, like, lost sorely.

Yeah. No, I, I, I hear you on that. Yeah, I think there's plenty of people out there who say, like, "I'm done with both parties." 

Yeah. 

Like, none of this is working. I actually talked to a guest in this series, uh, from the Midwest, and she-- her feeling was like, "Just blow the whole thing up and start all over again."

That, that's, that, uh, that was her level of frustration, and I don't think she's alone in that thinking. Like, it's just not working for, from her perspective, the common person. So, um, yeah, I love, I love that fix. I love what, uh, you're doing. And then so this sort of leads me to a question that I got from the previous person I talked to in the series, 'cause that's what I've been doing is just- 

Mm-hmm

as a way to pass the baton from neighbor to neighbor. So I just recently spoke to Jack up in the great state of Maine, and his question to you, Andy, is, what's something you can do today that not just benefits you but benefits members in your community, try to create a, a better ripple effect? Uh, more of a focus on the we Of for part of it than the me part of it.

So we... So, so many people out there are trying to live their best life, which is really me-centric. So his question is really around, like, hey, what can you do today that could benefit others? 

Yeah. That's such a great question. Thanks, Jack, for your question. I, um, uh, and maybe this is the therapist in me, but if we could just listen more- 

Yeah

you know, uh, with intention. Like, I think one of the best ways that we can build connection, uh, and gain perspective ourselves is to talk to others, and specifically to listen to others. Um, I am on a... I'm a member of my neighborhood association, and I've been trying to get the rest of the board to join me in canvassing our neighborhood by just knocking doors without any specific goal.

We're not collecting signatures for anything, but just to go around and ask people, you know, "How long have you lived here, and what do you like most about it, and what do you wish was different?" And already, just a few blocks in, I have met some incredible people and heard some, like, really pragmatic, you know, like reasonable things.

Uh, there's a guy a couple of streets over who's lived there for 19 years, and he loves the neighborhood. He's watched it change. It really was kind of a rundown neighborhood that's kind of found a new kind of economic life, and he, he said, you know, "I love this place. I just wish people would only park on one side of the street, 'cause you can't get a firetruck down if people are here."

But he was very conscientious that, like, he doesn't wanna make it harder to park because then people wouldn't come to the restaurants and the shops that are nearby. But he was like, "Can we just find ways to make this more accessible?" And it was such a, a genuine... It wasn't a, you know, a NIMBY get off my lawn kind of thing.

Yeah. He was like, "No, I want them to come, but just, like, I would like firetrucks to be able to navigate the streets as well," which was very reasonable. Uh, and so just getting... The moment that you... someone opens the door and they're skeptical, and you tell them why you're there and you just wanna listen, they open the door wider, they step out on the stoop, and you have this incredible conversation for just a few minutes.

And when I come back to my neighborhood meetings with that information, um, we as a, as a association have been able to be much more responsive to the needs of our neighbors, and it has translated to more neighbors participating, which is something that the board always needs, right? We need people to show up and do things.

And so it's this reciprocal relationship that seems so obvious, but when it starts happening, it feels magical in this exciting way. So that's what I would say. Just go talk to your neighbors and listen to them. 

I love it. So, uh, what great stories. So what question, Andy, do you have for the next person I chat with in the series?

Ooh, yes. I would love to know What is the meal that makes you feel most nostalgic? Like, is this something that your, you know, mom or your grandma made? Is it a cultural thing? What... Like, what's the food? I think there's something so visceral about food and meals and breaking bread with one another, but I would love to know what's the meal that makes you feel most nostalgic?

That's a great question. I've heard it asked in a different way, but, like, I love the way you're serving it up. So, um, I will, uh... And I'll serve it up to play off this food analogy and metaphor a little bit further- ... to the next guest here in the series. But Andy, thanks again for joining me here, and the ripple effect that you're putting into the world, and creating...

helping us create a more perfectly imperfect union. And I look forward to potentially turning the pedals with you next March in Oklahoma. That sounds great. So, uh, yeah. So thanks for being here. I appreciate you. 

Thanks, Michael. Great. Thanks for having me. 

Peace.

I love it when previous guests recommend other neighbors to chat with. Andy comes to us through Ashley, and I didn't know he was a cyclist when I first sat down with him, so that was a bonus. I so appreciate Andy's work in trying to make our whole system run better, and love his question. So how about for you?

What meal makes you feel most nostalgic? For me, it's not one particular dish or meal, but it was those moments when we got ice cream in the summer, and we sat on the roof of the car and just had our cones, and we chatted as a family. Those are great moments in my mind. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

And as always, thanks for listening as we celebrate America at year 250. And remember to celebrate your scars as golden symbols of your strength and resilience. And don't forget to have fun storming the castle.

And if you wish to learn more about creating beautiful ripples and how to prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day, please visit my website, michaelobrienshift.com, and sign up for my newsletter called The Ripple Effect. And join us each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday here at Whole Again, and discover how you can heal, grow, and become more resilient.

And celebrate our scars as golden symbols of strength and resilience. Until then, remember, you can always come back to your breath. You've got this, and we've got you.