Distances

Distance is relative. The thought of driving 10 miles to the store is much less appealing to me than riding the bike for 100 miles. Distance has been a very real issue I’ve struggled with this weekend. I got a call from my sister in law that my brother had a heart attack while fishing, doing what he loves. Everything fell into place how it needed to and he was able to get to the hospital and had 2 stents put in. If he lived closer I wouldn’t have stopped riding until I was there. Unfortunately, he lives 900 miles away.

I found myself riding along roads that felt like home and reminiscing about some of our fishing trips. I recalled many conversations we’ve had over the years, how he’s always been as much a best friend as a brother. He’s not a big conversationalist, but sometimes you just need a listening ear, not a lecture. It’s funny some of the memories that pop into your head at times like this, some serious and some funny. What I wouldn’t give to be there now to support and harass him too. There’s a special bond between a little sister and her big brother when you’ve shared as much as we have over the years. There’s never been a time when I felt like I couldn’t reach out to him and for that I’m thankful. I know that’s not the case for many others.

I rode along totally engrossed in my thoughts and at one point was on a road I travel often and I couldn’t remember if I’d passed where I meant to turn or not. Once I refocused I soon realized exactly where I was and that I hadn’t missed it. Do you ever get so consumed with your thoughts that you lose track of where you are when you ride? To me that’s just part of the joy of riding because it doesn’t really matter where I am, just that I’m out enjoying it.

Shortly after I got off the country roads and onto the main highway, I saw a funeral procession coming towards me. Here in the south that means pulling over to the side of the road and stopping while they pass, out of respect. I’ll admit it’s the first time I’ve had that experience on my bike and I was hoping the vehicles coming up behind me would see me and would also realize what was coming towards them and stop. I know many times we’re not seen on our bikes and hoped this would not be one of those times. There was what I call a bicycle lane on the side of the road so I tried to pull off onto that as much as I could just in case they decided to pass me. Thankfully they too realized it was a procession, they saw me and they also stopped.

It was pretty warm riding and even warmer stopped with the heat of the bike and I was glad to be on a road where I could get up to a high enough speed to feel the wind to help cool off a bit, it was 91° according to one thermometer I passed.

This weekend also would have been my nephew’s 40 birthday. How I wish he was still with us and I could ride with him just one time. He lived life for sure, he didn’t sit around waiting on things to happen, he went out and made things happen. He, like my brother and myself, enjoyed being outdoors much better than in. The great outdoors have so much to offer if we only take the time to get out and enjoy it!

Distances are physical of course, but they can also be psychological/emotional. You can be sitting right next to someone and feel further away from them emotionally than someone who is hundreds of miles away. Although my brother is so far away, I feel closer to him than I’ve felt to many people I’ve been in the same room with over the years.

I know most of us at one time or another realize we will most likely outlive our parents, which is a tough enough thought, but personally I’ve never given any consideration to the fact I could outlive my brother. I’m absolutely beyond grateful that was not the case this weekend and that God had His hand on my brother every step of the way. The physical distance is too far, but the emotional distance is not.

As I rode each time this weekend I thought way more about health and life and death than I have in a long time. My initial thoughts were about eating healthier, exercising more, the usual “healthy ” thoughts. The more I considered that the more I realized that when it’s our time to go it’s our time regardless of those things. I honestly believe stress causes way more health issues than diet, so why add the stress of what to eat to the list? You can read a different report on any given day about what we should and shouldn’t eat or drink and what is and isn’t healthy. I’ve known people who lived into their 70’s and 80’s who ate whatever they wanted, smoked their entire adult life, and got relatively little exercise. On the other hand I’ve known people who ate well, were physically active, didn’t smoke and died in their 20s and 30s. There are no guarantees in this life so we may as well just live it to the fullest every day and ride every chance we get!! Go the distance, whatever that is for you!You never know what you may see or learn along the way.