Aligned and Awake: The Sneeze
A moment on a London sidewalk, a loud sneeze, and an unexpected reminder to bless yourself first.
Aligned & Awake
My reflections on life through travel, human design, energy, astrology, and emotional clarity. Not as a guru. Just one person figuring it out in real time.
I was standing on the sidewalk in London waiting for a friend when I heard the loudest sneeze from behind me.
A man walked past with a little girl by his side, probably his daughter and without missing a beat, he let out a full-volume:
"ACHOO!"
…followed by a confident:
"Bless me."
No one else said a word. He didn't wait for it.
He gave it to himself.
I laughed.
Not in a mocking way. More like, huh, that's actually kind of brilliant.
Because I'd never heard anyone say that before.
Bless me.
He didn't wait for someone to offer it to him.
Didn't scan the crowd for approval.
Just kept walking like he'd sneezed, blessed, and wrapped the whole scene in a bow.
It felt… honest.
Not spiritual. Not self-helpy.
Just real. Like brushing your teeth or double-checking for keys you're already holding.
And it made me think:
We wait for many things.
For someone to notice the effort.
To say you're doing amazing, I see you, or even bless you when we've just survived another micro-meltdown in a grocery store parking lot.
We wait for someone to name what we already know in our bones.
But what if we didn't?
What if you said it to yourself?
Not with a dramatic pause or mood lighting.
Not in front of a mirror while reciting mantras through gritted teeth.
Just… casually. Like him.
Bless me.
Full stop. Carry on.
It stayed with me.
Not because it was profound.
Because it was innocent.
Like he hadn't been taught to outsource kindness yet.
And honestly? That's a skill I'd like to relearn.
So here's your reminder:
Bless yourself.
After you speak up.
After you rest.
After you do something hard that no one claps for.
Or even after you sneeze so loud it startles pigeons and small children.
Why?
No big reason.
Just because you can.
Great post, as always. I love your style of writing. It is inviting me into the story. Keep em coming.
Love it! That moment made me laugh too, and for me that means I will better remember the lesson. Love your encouragement here! Let's not wait for others, let's acknowledge ourselves and keep it positively moving forward. Thanks for sharing.