I am in awe of the human spirit today.

For the third year, I was a cheerleader for the Ride for Life, where people bike 41, 50, 85, or 100 miles around Cayuga Lake. I rode with a close friend as we followed our friend on her bike. It's such an amazing day!

We drive and then wait for our friend to bike past us, while we clap and yell words of encourgement. Of course, we also cheer for everyone who is just before and just after her as well. Our journey is always exactly right, and as we sat at one point to wait, my son Pete noticed a snail on a leaf. It was simply at rest--being. It simply was a snail. The snail represents perseverance.

The snail seems to represent so many of the cyclists today. They also needed to persevere--physically and mentally. They needed to push their body to bike up very steep, long hills; this physical exertion was painful to watch at times. The bikers would be going pretty fast on their bikes, then they would hit a very steep hill, and it looked as if they were hardly moving. It was painful to watch, but in some small way, it felt great to know that our words of encouragement might have given them the little oomph that they needed to push their bodies a bit further.

Mentally, it was obvious that many people biking were simply determined. One person learned to ride a bike so that she could participate in this charity event. She approached the whole day with joy and determination. First, she and her boyfriend stopped to share snacks, cuddles, and jokes. Then she would pick flowers to adorn her bike. It was so heartwarming to watch them share this journey. It was very sweet that he was there to support her, and she was delighted to simply be on this journey. She only learned to ride a bike in the last several weeks, and today, she biked around the lake. She wasn't in a rush or worried about the next hill; she simply accepted that she was accomplishing a dream of hers. I admire her determination, and like the snail's journey, at times it was a very slow journey. But she had it in her mind that she was going to bike around the lake, and she did. Yay for her! What an inspiration and reminder how important our mindset is.  

It is interesting that we began seeing blue heron as we began our journey early this morning as well as when we ended our journey this evening. The blue heron represents the balance between relating (connecting) and standing alone. Again what a beautiful association with the biker's journey.

Some riders stuck together. They waited for each other, or they rode side by side. They approached this journey together. However, they were on their own bikes, pushing themselves to continue the journey for themselves as well as for their partnership. They were easy to track because there was no concept of alone-ness. They started and finished as a team; they maintained their unity physically.

Other riders were just biking on their own. It's a fairly solitary sport, and for some bikers, they simply pedaled. It wasn't about anyone else or meeting anyone else's needs. They moved forward on their journey.

It seems as though my friend truly had the balance of solitude and standing on her own with connecting with others. Because of where she was in the pack of bikers, she often felt like she was biking on her own. She had long stretches where she was alone in nature. However, unlike most bikers, she had us following her and then waiting to encourage her on. She felt the connection with us, and she biked on her own. She knew that even when there were no other bikers around her that she would find us waiting for her. Alone, but connected.

The blue heron also symbolizes self-determination. It's hard to see in the above picture, but this blue heron just caught a fish in its beak and was eating it in this picture. Today was truly a journey of self-determination for many riders. They were determined that they would meet their goals, and their determination came from deep within their hearts. Just when that long hill seemed impossible to climb, they pushed through the self-doubt and adopted the philosophy of the Little Train that Could: "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can."

I am in awe of the human spirit and the human body. When we follow our life's true journey, it is amazing what our human body is capable of. What an honor to be able to witness this beauty in so many people!

Namaste,

L

 PS What a gift to share the day with a thoughtful and insightful friend. We enjoyed the views of the lake, appreciated beautiful houses, and marveled at how amazing the riders were.