It’s a Girl!!!

Don’t panic mom! 😘

I saw a house all decorated with that sign and pink ribbons just after I started my ride. My initial thought and reaction was of what joy and love they must be feeling. I absolutely adore my 2 granddaughters and know how precious and sweet they are to me.

The longer I rode and the more I thought about it the more I realized something else. That little girl will be growing up in a world very different than the one I grew up in. Our society sees girls/women very differently now than it did 50 plus years ago. Some of this is a good thing and some not so much.

Many of my rides this week were in the early evening hours when it was cooler and on very familiar roads for safety reasons. I know pretty much where to expect to see deer if they’re out moving around and stick to other roads at that time or just am on the lookout more purposefully. I must say I really do love riding later, after the sun has started its slow descent but before it’s totally dark. Living in the country where there are no street lights, I don’t ride after dark when it’s too hard to see critters that may come running out of the woods though.

The route I took yesterday, early before the sun was overbearing, was to check out a new road (new to me) that I saw recently and mentioned I was going to have to try. I am soooo glad I did it. It was a very windy road that took lots of unexpected twists and turns. The countryside was absolutely beautiful and thanks to the large trees that canopied over the road in areas, there was some much appreciated shade along the way as well. The time of day I rode, there was very little traffic which made it even nicer. Nobody was riding my tail or jutting out of side roads and driveways without looking. It was a very relaxing but thought provoking ride. I kept thinking back to the sign I saw announcing the arrival of a baby girl.

There was a time when moms stayed home to raise the kids and dads went off to work to earn the money to support his family. Now women are out in the workforce as well and children are with grandparents and/or other family members or in day cares many times. I was fortunate to have been at home when my boys were little and although I later had to go to work full time to raise them, I’m thankful I was there to see those first steps, hear those first words, and watch them learn to explore the great outdoors while they were little.

Even though I had all boys, I realize that our society views girls/women so differently now in my opinion. It’s as if women now are expected to work, shop, cook, clean, keep up with school and other activities AND look like a model. Much of this has come about slowly as society has changed and as more women have wanted to be viewed as equals to men and to prove they can do everything men can do. To some degree this may be true, but in other ways it’s not. We were not created to be exactly the same. We each have important roles and should complement (and compliment) each other, not compete with each other, in my way of thinking.

I want my granddaughters to grow up knowing they can do anything they put their mind to, but also knowing that men serve an important role in their lives as well. Men and women are wired differently and have different strengths, weaknesses, and emotions. All children need to see their dads treat their moms with respect for who they are, not who the world says they should be. They need to know that beauty is not just about how someone looks on the outside, but more importantly who they are on the inside. I would love to lose about 40 lbs., but whether I do or not, I’m still the same person on the inside. The sad part is women, more so than men, are judged by our outward appearance. I don’t want any little girl, or woman, to ever feel like they are less than someone else just because they don’t look “beautiful” on the outside. I see too many women and young girls who are trying to make themselves into something specific for the man already in their life or the man they want. Ladies/girls be yourself. If you are meant to be with someone, he will love you for who you are! Take responsibility for your own actions and let things fall into place, don’t force them into place. I pray that the little girl just born, those already here, and those to come will value themselves for who they were made to be, not for what someone else tells them they should be.

I’m thankful to have grown up in a small town like most of the areas I ride in, like my ride yesterday. It seems in many ways small town living can be a little less worldly in some ways. I’m very thankful to be able to ride because I have a loving husband who encouraged me and taught me how. Last night he even surprised me when he got off work and we went for a ride together, on more roads I hadn’t been on yet. Times like that are extra special to me.

There was a time when not very many women rode their own bike, this has been a good change. 😎 I probably ride in a radius of about 50 miles from my home, but in less than 4 years I have put on about 30,000 miles or so. That’s allowed me a lot of alone time with my thoughts and my God and I am blessed beyond measure. I’ve learned so much about riding, about my surroundings, about myself and life in general.

I have a friend who would love to ride but told me she can’t ride a 2 wheel motorcycle. She’s not letting that stop her though. She recently told me she got her permit and is looking to buy a 3 wheel motorcycle. I’m thrilled for her and hope we’ll have the opportunity to ride together one day. As they say it’s not about what you ride, but that you ride. It’s still wind therapy!

Riding in the open air is like nothing else. Feeling the cool and warm breezes, sometimes strong gusts of wind, rain, the sun beating down on you, the amazing sights and smells, are all experiences I treasure. Every ride has it’s own special feel. When I first started to ride an hour seemed like a long ride. Now my hubby knows if I go for a ride he’ll get anywhere from 1-3 hours or so of peace and quiet. Some days I just want to ride and keep on going, it never gets old. As I look back at the miles I’ve put on, I think of all the places I could have gone in that amount of miles, but cherish the moments I’ve had just the way they’ve happened.