"All You Gotta Do (Breathe)"

If you think that there is no good in the world then you haven’t met my aunt Marilyn. Even before she was born she struggled to survive. They said she wouldn’t make it home from the hospital. Then, they said she wouldn’t live a year, then five, then ten, then 25. Marilyn is nearly 70-years-old and since birth has dealt with a malformed heart valve, organ failure, bone deterioration, and just plain ridicule of her simplemindedness all with a giggle, (her friends refer to her as Giggle Box, so very fitting) and one amazing and special talent. Marilyn has a memory that would make an elephant jealous. She remembers family members, friends, and even acquaintances that she hasn’t seen in years, what they do for a living, who they’re married to, and their children. We should all be so blessed.

I’ve often wondered, given Grandma and Grandpa’s situation, what would I have done, what thoughts would have flooded my mind, how would I have handled that feeling of helplessness? Who would I have talked to--God, my struggling child, myself, all three?

One day, as I strummed my guitar looking for some thought to convey, some part of my life that was worth writing about, my thoughts drifted to those questions again, and the first verse and chorus were written. Though I was in the room alone and mine is the only name on the credits, I will always believe I had help. That first verse and chorus were a gift. The rest was up to me. And the rest took almost a year.

I am so fortunate to get to hear songs that make me cry, reminisce, giggle, belly laugh, and dream all the time, but I had never written one myself that really moved me. As the last line fell into place and I knew that I finished ‘Breathe’, I realized…here was my Marilyn, one of those things that is truly good in the world.

A couple of years later, my closest friend and confidante, one of my biggest fans who also happens to be my sister, MJ Schmidt, took the position of Executive Director at Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Dakota. Every few months she would mention how my song Breathe spoke so honestly of the struggles of so many of the families that stay at the house. Thank you, MJ, for lighting the fire that finally got ‘Breathe’ recorded and allowing me a chest-full of pride as a part of such a great cause.

I can only hope that this song, like the Ronald McDonald House Charities, provides comfort to families with struggling children that they are not alone. There is help. There is hope away from home.

Camille Wallin

Writer, Artist, and Producer

Editor's Note: You can download All You Gotta Do (Breathe) by clicking on this link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/camillewallin  Half of the purchase price will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Dakota.