Life's highway has ups, downs, and lots of curves.

Traveling the road of life has its rough rides.Every person experiences bumps along this roadway, bumps of sadness, bumps of illness, bumps of depression and eventually bumps of death. But, along that same road, each person also has some smooth riding, some straight-ways, some speed strips. I know I have had all of those in my life. I bet you have had some in yours.
    One group member I am riding with in this European Motorcycle tour, has a very sad story, a major bump in his life's road occurred but a year ago. Married for 44 years, this person lost a spouse to cancer a year ago. The relationship was a match made in heaven: high school peers, friends before they were lovers, married before entering their third decade of life, they lived a life of great friendship, great intimacy and great camaraderie. Now, the living partner aches, badly, so much so that it is difficult to even talk about the marriage, the friendship, the history of being a couple. The road is becoming very bumpy, very difficult to travel. But, just as in this European jaunt, each person should know, there are riding companions out there to accompany you along that road. Just open you eyes, open you heart, people do want to ride with you a little ways, only so they can have company when their own ride becomes a rough one.
    Those of you riding a road with a mate, think about your road ahead. Maybe you should appreciate the ride of today for the road will be empty for one of you all too soon. So much of what happens in our lives is serendipity, fate, destiny and there is little we can do to improve the ride and make it smoother.
      I ride a motorcycle, inherently a high risk activity. I don't go out looking for danger, precarious situations, the tempting of fate. Some people do. Why, I simply don't know. But I wonder. A death wish? Perhaps for some, but if they do, why do they? The smooth rides of life are so good ! Some people would think that being a motorcycle rider, I have a death wish. Don't kid yourself, nothing could be farther from the truth. I ride with heart in hand on many roads, especially these which I have ridden in Europe. Exciting roads, dream roads for a bike person but I ride them as carefully as my skills permit. But when you learn the stories behind each rider, you soon learn that life is a tough road to travel for everyone.

   Yet, life goes on: birth, life, aging, death. There is a pattern and there has to be meaning, but I don't have the answers to share with you readers, not here, not elsewhere. I too would like to know what those answers are, if there are any.
    Sadly, today one couple from our riding group were forced to "pull the plug" on their 5 country motorcycle tour because the father of the woman is very ill. The bad news was received last night and today, arrangements for their speedy return to the USA were initiated. Soon, if their prayers are answered, they will have made it, on time, to be by the man's side in his last moments. How sad.

Penny, Larry, our thoughts and our prayers are with you. And though this is a very private time for you both, please be aware that all of us, though we have known each other for such a brief while, we all ride the same roads of life with you. Be safe and we hope your journey ends as well as you wish.
   For the rest of us, our ride continues.
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