I was on a bike ride on Saturday with over 75 other riders. We took up an entire lane along the coast. "Please stay in the bike lane. Stop at the stop signs. And you guys wonder why so many of you are getting hit by cars," the grumpy police officer bellowed over his car loud speaker. There were a lot of us. It was a beautiful Saturday, we were riding safe, and best of us we were out celebrating International Women's Day 2024.
The purpose of this ride was to get together, get to know some names, meet new faces and make new friends. Just before the ride started I started to record the set and setting for my growing social media following.... :) as I utilize it for positive message spreading, community building, and business building. "I like your lighthouse tattoo." Bam! The start of a friendship. We ride together for about an hour chatting away about hobbies, which she has many of, and makes me see how I totally do too! I just hadn't looked at my life through the lens of hobbies... but I do have lots that I love.
Hobbies that I didn't realize are totally hobbies:
Journaling
Reading (nonfiction mostly, but recently started in on A Court of Thorns and Roses... I'm hooked)
Swimming
Biking
Running
The occasional pub trivia (maybe that isn't hobby then?)
Hiking
Paddle boarding (I gotta get back out there, come to think of it)
As my new friend Raina and I were cruising along, I'd shared with her this: "Honestly, I love my life. I recently had this thought and just feel so grateful." Cruising on our bikes at roughly 18MPH, she reaches over and excitedly hits my arm. Exclaiming "dude, me too!! I had a moment of realization like that at a music festival recently with good music playing and the sun setting in the background." It was a joy-inspired moment of connection.
I thought back to that moment and the specialness of us sharing in each other's love of life. Love of what is present and alive in our lives right now. Sure, we're both working towards change that is inevitable in life; as for the present moment, life is beautiful as it is. Love is here now. Love is all around us... because Love is within us.
Big love, new friend Raina. Good thing I'm a (self-proclaimed, and will probably experience some sort of humbling Karma for this comment) wizard on my bike and was able to get your contact info for future riding.
I hope for us all to consistently have those moments of realization and remembrance that our lives are awesome. And we are the ones getting to experience the beauty that is all around us, and the beauty that resides within us.
I wonder when other people most experience these moments of divine love. Watching the sunset? On a bike ride? In nature, on a hike? Looking out over a city? Walking? Laughing with a friend? In the quiet of your own space? On a long drive in the car? At a rest area in the middle of nowhere? The possibilities are limitless and boundless.
Cheers, friend! Happy day.
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