Since last year - all my scheduled bike trips have been just on the edge of the apocalypse. Meaning - plagues of cicadas, record heat, driving wind and rain … like Mother Nature or God is saying, “Maybe not … ?”. Much to my chagrin, my strong and enduring “ride or die” fellow bikers are a solid group. They will march on, finding the fun in almost any situation (even though I tell them repeatedly, it clearly points to the end of the world). I’m usually patient - just waiting for someone to say “I’m out” because it’ll give me a reason to leave as well.
But they don’t leave. And as frustrating as this is, I realize that this makes me stronger because I find that my excuses (cold, wet, tired, etc.) are momentary. I’m tougher than I think.*
When my folks were in hospice at the ends of their lives - people kept telling me, “God never gives us more than we can handle” and “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.” I’ve probably said the same thing to people because I saw it on a doormat or something - but in essence, we are so much stronger and tougher than we give ourselves credit for. Every day (every hour), we are faced with adversity and drama, and somehow, we survive.
So Mother Nature - “Dish it out darlin’ - let’s see what’s next in your basket of tricks.”** (It’ll probably be good this time.)
*and honestly, this shocks me.
**I just completely jinxed myself.
