About two weeks ago my dad died. It has been a hard couple of weeks. Now every time I get on my bike I start to
cry. Mind you, my dad and my riding are
not connected in some special way. However, I think the reason I cry is because
riding is a contemplative practice for me.
Riding is a time when I am in my body and quiet. It is both active and reflective. It is a time when I can ruminate. Recently, my ruminations have been about my
dad and my upcoming tour across the country and the connections between the
two.
My partner and I have been planning to ride our bicycles from
Bedford, MA to El Segundo CA – We will travel east to west, across Adventure
Cycling’s Northern Tier bicycle route, then to the Lewis and Clark trail, and
then down the pacific coast. We will
ride more in one summer than I do most years.
It is a rather daunting trip and it is odd that in the midst of
grieving, I am planning to undertake something so challenging for me. Yet, I think this is a good thing. It reminds me of things my father said to me,
especially late in his life, about living for the day and following your dreams
while you can. I think he felt he didn’t
do enough of that. So, in a funny way
taking this trip is a tribute to my father.
1 comment:
When you talk about cycling being both active & reflective, it reminds me of certain types of meditation I do. Sometimes I just spontaneously start crying, altho I wouldn't claim a recent grief like yours.
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