The ride into work this morning on my Road King, although frosty at 20 degrees, gives me time to reflect on yesterday and get’s me prepared for today. Of course I’m speaking mentally as my fifty-year old body doesn’t need much preparing. It has had ample time to put on a winter’s worth of fat to keep me warm on just this sort of ride. As I headed out, the sun was just starting to come over the horizon and I knew by the blue sky and dark blue scattered clouds that this sunrise would be amazing. I have about twenty-three miles to get to work and I’m either heading West or North at any given time and with little effort I can take in the beauty of any of the morning’s wonders.
So as I’m heading out, it doesn’t take long before I can see in my mirror, through my fogged up Fulmer helmet face-shield, the sun as it is climbing its way up over the hills as I’m West-bound. Beautiful-and I never get tired of this. Sure it’s cold and I will only get colder, but you can’t take anything away from a gift like this. To me, both the sunrise and sunsets can put everything in perspective. Although difficult sometimes, each day is a chance to start fresh-and make a difference. Whether it is your life or someone else’s, today is the day.
Today, like every day, this gift I witness before me is awesome. I am humbled by God and the gift He gives me every day. No matter what happens the rest of this day, I’ll be OK.
For the rest of my ride I thought about how my day ended yesterday and how I woke up at 2:00 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep. And how today would probably be a long day because of it all…and I realized that I can’t change yesterday and today is short when compared to the bigger picture. Instead of complaining today I will give thanks for it-and the opportunity to make this a good day as well. Did I mention it was 20 degrees when I left for work? I didn’t notice it at all!
Jeff Maddox 