After a few too many months off, due to illness and being away from home, I’m back on my bike again, and it feels good!
I live in a neighborhood that has just enough flat land to make it enjoyable to ride a bike, and just enough hills to make it a challenge.
I prefer the downhill side of the hills, but I can’t enjoy those until I reach the top of the hill.
Sometimes, it’s a quiet grind to the top. Other times, it’s a noisy, whiny gripe to the top! I find myself saying things like…”Why am I doing this? Whose crazy idea was it to do this? I can’t do this!”
Oh, but I can!!
And every time I reach the top of the hill, I say to myself…”Hey! that wasn’t so bad! I made it!”
I can do this!
I pause at the top of the hill, catch my breath, take a drink of water.
Then with absolute confidence and resolve, I fly down the hill, exhilarated and ready to take on the next hill as it arrives.
I think riding a bike might just be a little bit like my life.
Some days I just cruise through it. Easy. No sweat. Other days, it’s an uphill climb, not so easy, and lots of sweat!
I get tired, and I want to quit. I tell myself that I can’t do this, it’s too hard, and I’m pretty sure I’m just plain crazy!
But….I can do this!
And when I get to the end of a tough day, just like on my bike ride, I pause, catch my breath, and get refreshed.
I reflect on the good, and try to learn from the bad.
And then…I go on. With confidence and resolve in my step, ready to take on the next day as it comes.
Blessings through raindrops... 
You’ve reminded me its been too long since I too was on my bike.
Go for it! It will be worth it! Start out slow and easy at first though, you don’t want to wear yourself out on the first day out! Hope you have a great ride! 🙂
LOL, it hasn’t been THAT long, only a few months while my husband has been ill!
Oh good! Kind of how it was for me! Hope your husband is feeling better soon. It sure feels good to ride again!
Becky, I like your suggestion that bike riding can be a metaphor for how you are in your life.
Thanks you – I didn’t really start out with that in mind, but once I started writing it, it just seemed to work! It’s kind of cool when things happen like that! 🙂
Yay for bie rides!! Just brushed mine off recently for a spin in my hometown we have a local festival called boro fondo where hundreds of people ride bikes, get super drunk and ride around to different house shows while all our friends play music for everyone. so much fun! and your bike looks nifty 🙂
Oh my! That sounds like it could be interesting! 🙂 I’m not sure how I would go about doing that though….I’m doing good to stay on my bike when I’m 100% sober, can’t imagine trying to ride the thing if I was super drunk. I think I’ll pass on that part of the ride, but going around to the different houses, etc., sounds like it would be a blast! I hope you have a great time! Stay safe!