Social media can be used to heal. The secret is to openly share our own unique truth. This is a collection of these truths. Thousands of strangers from around the world joined an online course for 30 days of writing. A diverse group of one hundred writers remained connected for the following year in a Facebook group, pouring out their lives to each other in poetry and prose. They encouraged each other, embraced their differences, and lived by only one rule: to love. They breathed each other's words as air. Together, many of them became authors. These writers show us that deep relationships and personal growth are possible, even in this age of declining personal communication and true connection. What is your personal WHY for Breathing Words: My WHY for breathing words is community. The communion that was created by our connection on the page in a space of love and allowance was my inspiration. When I was asked to participate in this anthology I was so thrilled, I felt seen. I was a part of a group of writers! Now I have Writing friends! Now we are in a book! How awesome is this!!!!! it feels FULL We came together as strangers and became friends through our shared words. Friendships became community, and through that community we have given birth to a collection of diverse writings, mostly new voices, waiting to be introduced into the world. I am honored and humbled to be part of the richness of this group of phenomenal writers. One day standing out on my porch: barefoot, the small voice I have come to trust rose up from my solar plexus and started whispering. It wouldn't shut up and it kept on whispering-why? Well , why the ** NOT?" I did not completely believe in myself. I merely had a tiny little spark, deep in my heart that hoped someday I could say "I did it." The fantasy world I found has become the real world and my past has been discarded as a self imposed and crippling fear. I have watched our rag tag group of lost souls pull the answers from thin air bringing a collective soul into fruition. We have become Breathing Words. That month of writing saved a spiraling soul. I sat down and loved my way through the entire manuscript for the first time yesterday and with fond recollection met each one of you again for the first time. Writing is my way of crying alone, hugging memories, and while I do, I live. I am proud of me for the first time in a while. Breathing words is proof that if you dream it, it can be. We manifested a book bound with love. There was a certain surrealism to the experience of allowing myself to write, to share openly, and to let my words and underlying feelings bleed onto a page seen by those who by definition were both stranger and dear friend. Who was I to know that in a short time those people would actually become good friends and trusted ears? Breathing words is about Courage for me. I cannot remember when I started writing. It's always been a part of my life but I've never felt worthy of others time. The group, the process changed that. I've grown so much as an artist and a person. Breathing Words means healing and courage to me. This gave me the opportunity to write words that I wasn't able to speak at the time. For me, writing has always been a way to express what I buried deep below as a child. As my words cradle my own heart, it is my hope that they are able to take hold of someone else's hearts and begin mending it. Breathing Words equates to courage of heart, of soul, it means courage to finally BE SEEN. All of it was important, all of it was learning, all of it was in the end so empowering! So for me it's about community building, love and respect. --Breathing Words Authors The following diverse group of talented AUTHORS contributed to this anthology: Rachel Ballantine - Robin Harvey Futrell - Susan Boardman - Leslie I. Bolin - Doug Bowie - Gary Gregory - Patricia M. King: Joseph Kittilson - Tree Langdon - Victorea Luminary - Sarah Martin - Jackie McCullough - Janice Raquela Mendonca - Bill Munley - Elle Newlands - Joy Wilson Parrish - Whitney Poole - Jen Pope - Cari Greywolf Rowan - Phil Saltonstall - Nancy Shiner - Sarah-Alexandra Teodorescu - Jay Unrau - Darlene Versak - Becca West. In addition, the song was written by Joel Usher and transcribed by Steven Hashimoto.