Inhaling and Exhaling

What makes it so worthwhile to observe breathing? For me first and foremost, it is to come to the realization THAT there is breathing going on. Even before I set my mind to start observing it, there were breaths going in and there were breaths going out. All along my body had my lungs taking oxygen from the air coming in, had my bloodstream distribute it to all the cells that needed it, while simultaneously having my bloodstream distribute carbon dioxide from the cells back to the lungs and outside again with the air going out. It seems though that nothing of that entire process I could do consciously no matter how long or how often I tried, with the exception of inhaling and exhaling. And I rest pretty happy in the awareness that inhaling and exhaling is going on nonetheless, whether or not I am observing my breathing!