Blog Archives
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 34
My early morning bike rides are getting more difficult.
T
he sun is rising later, which means I’m leaving in the dark.
The benefit of starting so early is that I get to watch the sunrise.
The downside is that I have to be more cautious of cars, deer and other hazards.
And then there’s the weather.
On Tuesday, I was caught in an unexpected rainstorm that not only left me soaked but also left me questioning why I didn’t look at the radar. When I ride during the day, I ALWAYS check the radar.
Yesterday morning, the fog that rolled in matched my general frustrations: I wanted to clearly see where I was going, but I just couldn’t.
Then I noticed something.
The fog was always just out of reach.
A tree hidden in the fog was completely clear when I actually rode by it, and the drops of moisture on a spider web made it more visible than normal.
And then I realized that trying to get ahead of the fog is impossible, but appreciating the beauty of the moment is essential.
I also realized that I don’t need to chase or escape the fog. Instead, I need to accept the unknown.
Getting such clear insight always makes me smile.
Day 34: Accepting the Fog Day 33: I See the Moon
Day 32: The Stonehenge Scene from This is Spinal Tap
Day 30: Unlikely Friendships Day 29: Good Samaritans
Day 28: Am I a Man or Am I a Muppet? Day 27: Shadows
Day 26: Bike Riding on Country Roads
Day 24: Hibiscus Day 23: The Ice Cream Truck
Day 22: The Wonderful World of Disney Day 21: Puppy love
Day 20 Personal Theme Songs Day 19: Summer Clouds
Day 18: Bartholomew Cubbin’s Victory
Day 17: A Royal Birth Day 16: Creative Kids
Day 15: The Scent of Honeysuckle Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 31
During the summer, I do most of my bike riding in the early morning hours as the sun is ascending into the sky.
Because of that, there are times when the areas I pass through are still fairly dark.
The corn fields look like a jumble of unorganized stalks in which I could easily be lost.
And the groves of trees looks unwelcoming.
And then I ride a little farther or a little higher and everything looks different.
Instead of seeing crowded stalks of corn, I see a field neat and well-organized rows.
And instead of seeing the sun barely peeking through the trees, I see rays of sunshine warming the woods and warming my thoughts.
These tiny changes in perspective reflect the importance of perspective in our lives as well.
When we change our perspective, we often get a better understanding of how, life is basically really, really good.
Just knowing that always makes me smile.
Day 31: Perspective
Day 28: Am I a Man or Am I a Muppet? Day 27: Shadows
Day 26: Bike Riding on Country Roads
Day 24: Hibiscus Day 23: The Ice Cream Truck
Day 22: The Wonderful World of Disney Day 21: Puppy love
Day 20 Personal Theme Songs Day 19: Summer Clouds
Day 18: Bartholomew Cubbin’s Victory
Day 17: A Royal Birth Day 16: Creative Kids
Day 15: The Scent of Honeysuckle Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
Just So You Know 