Life is short, make every day count. Today would have been my nephew’s 39th birthday had cancer not taken him from us just 2 1/2 months shy of his 23rd birthday. I may have rambled about him before, but I don’t go back and read my ramblings once I publish them, so if I repeat myself you’ll need to forgive me.
Luke was more like my son, than my nephew. We shared a very special bond for which I’m extremely thankful to this day. He was a young man who lived life to the fullest and made no excuses for things he did. Luke was proud to serve in the United States Air Force where was a crew chief on A-10 fighter jets. It was during his time in Kuwait that he was misdiagnosed and therefore was beyond a cure once he was correctly diagnosed in Alaska. Even that didn’t stop him from living life to the fullest that the disease would allow. I had earned a trip to go anywhere, and gladly gave it to him so he could see Paris before he died. Cancer did not take away his zeal for life.
During the time he was stationed in Fayetteville, NC he had a bike and loved to push the limits on it, like everything in life. As I look now at a picture of him sitting on that bike, I wish I could ride with him just one time. I decided today I would take a long ride, in his memory, to celebrate his birthday. As I rode along, I thought about his contagious laugh. I thought about something that happened to me when I rode earlier this week that he absolutely would have laughed about. I was cruising along a country road with no weather or traffic to worry about, just enjoying the ride, when all of a sudden it happened. One of those big green June bugs hit me on my eye glasses. Now it didn’t just hit me and bounce off, that would have been too simple. Had it done that I wouldn’t have know for sure it was a June bug either. The reason I do know, is because this lovely bug clung to my glasses and actually ended up INSIDE my lens. Don’t ask me how it managed to do that while I was doing 55 mph. So now I’m cruising down the road only seeing out of one eye, as the other eye has a bug between it and my lens. I can clearly see it’s green body now. Fortunately I was on a straight section of road. I took my left hand off the handlebars in order to remove my glasses, then the bug, and return my glasses to my face so I could properly see with no extra passengers. Crazy things happen and he would have loved to laugh at that one!
As I rode today on another stretch of road that my hubby took me on quite some time ago I thought about if Luke was riding with me today. On this particular road I came to a long straight stretch that was smooth and recently repaved with a long passing zone. I knew that if he was riding behind me, he would have flown by me, laughing all the way. He would have waited for me to catch up with him later, but would definitely have had to pass me. He lived life wide open; good or bad, that was him.
I rode for hours today and learned city driving as well as enjoying some old memories. Rides I’ve taken with my hubby, memories of trips to see Luke while he was sick, thoughts along the way of bike rides I’d like to take in the future with my hubby. I also went on a new road today and I thought I knew where it came out but was totally wrong! I ended up in city traffic I never would have chosen but actually was more comfortable on my bike than I have been in my car there previously. Sometimes unexpected experiences can be good ones.
Take time to make memories, alone and also with the ones you love. You never know when you may not get that chance again. Live life abundantly-
John 10:10 NKJV
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Ramblings of a Christian Grandma Biker 