Sunday, April 24, 2011

thankful for the long road...


Yesterday was hard.
I went on my fourth bicycle ride of the year.

Fourth.

Pretty much most of the last 7 months,

7 MONTHS!

Have been crap and have looked like this...

I feel out of shape.

I feel angry.

I feel down.

As the cold wind was chilling my ears

and slowing me down

and the heavy clouds were feeling ominous

I forced myself to once again

get over it.


An incredibly sad event happened here this week.

A young woman, Kimberly Yeong Sil Hull (Audrey), was taken from this world.

She was riding her bicycle through an intersection I ride through

on just about every bicycle ride I go on,
hit by a commercial vehicle,
and died.

I was thinking of her my whole ride

and when I passed through the intersection on my way home,

and saw the flowers in her honor, I could not help but well up.

I sent my thoughts out to her and will think of her often as I pass this spot.

To be robbed of a life at only 25 years old immensely saddens me

and my heart goes out to those around her.

Then a city bus came up behind me,

and I had to return to the moment at hand.


So for all my complaints about the weather

how out of shape I am

and how few weekends of the summer lay ahead of me,
I have bright flowers to make the grey days beautiful,
I have sunshine today,
and
I am thankful for what is hopefully a long road ahead of me,
because I have it.


Happy Sunday Everyone.

In a few hours I am off for a ride.

May your day be what you want it to be,

May you be thankful for what you have today and tomorrow,

and may you stay safe out there ~

make eye contact with those drivers,

cycle defensively,

don't assume.


There is a Memorial Ride for Audrey on Wednesday Night.

Information here.