Reading · Good and Beautiful Things

Dear Reader,

When I woke up this morning I discovered the face-melting heat of Tennessee had shifted down into the 70’s.

Before I could think too much about it, I got dressed and headed to the garage. It took me a few minutes to extract my bicycle from the rubble of lawn tools, furniture and bags of old clothes.

I checked the air in the tires, put on some music, and headed off on my first bike ride in over a year.

When I entered the little tunnel of trees at the start of the greenway, the temperature dropped a bit more. As I sped along, I greeted the old, familiar path and I’d like to believe the trees were glad to see me, too.

Hello green tunnel, my portal to another world.

Hello speckled shadows, spread out like a red carpet of welcome before me.

Hello wooden bridge, beginning your percussive beats as I pedal my way across.

Hello green meadow, rising up as tall as me and bowing in the breeze.

Hello blue skies, no longer hidden by the ceiling of my house.

It’s good to see you again.

For a variety of reasons I haven’t spent this spring or summer on my bike like I did the previous year. It’s easy to beat myself up about it (“why are you avoiding something you love?!”) but I’ve also learned that there are some joys we find for a season and some that come back to us again at just the right time. We don’t always know which activities or people will fit in which category. I’m glad that biking came back to me today.

My ride this morning reminded that there are very few endeavors that bring me such an immediate and joy and lightness as riding my bike. It’s a child-like encounter with myself and the world around me.

School orientation is this next week for our household (three of us are teaching, one is student). Will I start riding again regularly? TBD.

But it’s got me thinking…

Maybe there’s time for a trip to the local drive-in theater.

Maybe there’s time to pack up the kayaks and go to the lake across town.

Maybe there’s still time to make some smores or homemade strawberry ice cream.

There’s a little slice of summer left, what will you do with yours?