Hello and welcome back to Drift Off. I'm Joanne, your host, and I'm so glad you're here tonight.

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Tonight I'm reading from The Long Winter by Laura Engels Wilder, a story of a family on the Dakota Prairie, facing the

winter so fierce and unrelenting that it became a legend.

It's a story of cold and darkness, yes, but also of warmth and closeness, and the small,

ordinary acts of courage that carry people through.

Now, let's set all of that aside and settle in.

Take a slow breath in through your nose and let it go.

Find a comfortable position wherever you are right now.

Maybe you're already in your bed or curled up somewhere soft.

Just let your body sink into whatever's holding you if your shoulders are up near your ears just let them drop let your jaw

unclench

let your hands

go loose

you don't need to hold on to anything tonight.

...