BACK IN THE SADDLE
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH IT WERE A PLOT, BUT WHEN YOU ARE INTO IT, IT'S A MESS: JUST ONE SURPRISE AFTER ANOTHER. THEN, LATER, YOU SEE IT WAS PERFECT. SCHOPENHAUER
It's been exactly a week since we learned of Mel's passing,and we are now back on the route after a challenging detour to Texas. Over the past 7 weeks we have noticed from time to time how isolated we are on these bicycles---out in remote parts of the country without services of any kind and only our wits and legs to get us to the next spot on the map. But, I didn't realize what an odyssey it would be if we suddenly needed to get to civilization in a hurry. With a lot of help from our family and friends, some luck and some intervention from a kind librarian in Park Falls Wisconsin who opened the library almost an hour early for us, we got to Texas and were able to pay our respects. My brother Jeff was invaluable in coordinating several trips back and forth between Chicago and Wisconsin---his affection and love for Mel runs back as far as mine, I think. So,our bike journey expanded to include cars, trains, planes and today we'll hop on the ferry to cross Lake Michigan.
After we had our wheels in motion to get to Texas for a Saturday service, we discovered that the service would actually be on Wednesday. We were disappointed to learn that our efforts would not get us to Texas at the right time after all, but there were a lot of folks in the same boat coming from far and wide. I feel so much love and gratitude for Mel's wife June and the rest of his family who gathered together on Saturday night for an impromptu celebration of his life---it was perfect in every way, full of so much heart. It was very important for me to see those faces of love, to begin the long healing process. Measured in years, his life was so short---appearing to be unfinished when considering the things he still dreamed of doing. But, measured by the joy with which he lived it, the grace he embodied and especially the love that he left behind---it was overflowing. My life expanded ten-fold after crossing his path, I'll be forever grateful.
It's difficult to change gears, and get back into "bike trip mind"---but I know that's the right thing to do, and the thing that honors a friendship that is wide and deep, so we are looking forward to Michigan and the road ahead of us. We'll make groundfall again in Ludington MI, and begin crossing the state headed to a little slip where we'll squeeze into Canada. But, like everything else on a bicycle, that's going to take awhile. GO LANCE!!
It's been exactly a week since we learned of Mel's passing,and we are now back on the route after a challenging detour to Texas. Over the past 7 weeks we have noticed from time to time how isolated we are on these bicycles---out in remote parts of the country without services of any kind and only our wits and legs to get us to the next spot on the map. But, I didn't realize what an odyssey it would be if we suddenly needed to get to civilization in a hurry. With a lot of help from our family and friends, some luck and some intervention from a kind librarian in Park Falls Wisconsin who opened the library almost an hour early for us, we got to Texas and were able to pay our respects. My brother Jeff was invaluable in coordinating several trips back and forth between Chicago and Wisconsin---his affection and love for Mel runs back as far as mine, I think. So,our bike journey expanded to include cars, trains, planes and today we'll hop on the ferry to cross Lake Michigan.
After we had our wheels in motion to get to Texas for a Saturday service, we discovered that the service would actually be on Wednesday. We were disappointed to learn that our efforts would not get us to Texas at the right time after all, but there were a lot of folks in the same boat coming from far and wide. I feel so much love and gratitude for Mel's wife June and the rest of his family who gathered together on Saturday night for an impromptu celebration of his life---it was perfect in every way, full of so much heart. It was very important for me to see those faces of love, to begin the long healing process. Measured in years, his life was so short---appearing to be unfinished when considering the things he still dreamed of doing. But, measured by the joy with which he lived it, the grace he embodied and especially the love that he left behind---it was overflowing. My life expanded ten-fold after crossing his path, I'll be forever grateful.
It's difficult to change gears, and get back into "bike trip mind"---but I know that's the right thing to do, and the thing that honors a friendship that is wide and deep, so we are looking forward to Michigan and the road ahead of us. We'll make groundfall again in Ludington MI, and begin crossing the state headed to a little slip where we'll squeeze into Canada. But, like everything else on a bicycle, that's going to take awhile. GO LANCE!!
posted by Laurel @ 9:33 AM
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