Of course, just a few short weeks before RAW life's exigencies remind me that life is not `RAW.' It is more (much more) and better than that. (I wonder if I would have been so at peace with chaos 20 or 40 years ago).
My work is wonderful. I continue to experience the opportunity to participate in a helping way with the lives of people who are hurting and reaching out, showing their resilience. Many sad and painful experiences in my client's lives are coming to a head: 8 lanes of traffic on a 2 lane hiway of life.
My nearest in age sister passed away last weekend after several years of suffering with a dread illness. As her legal Guardian, and now the Executor of her Estate, my heart, soul and the time it takes to stitch the fabric of our lives together again is pressed even harder.
My wife retired less than two weeks ago. She is doing a heroic job of `changing lanes.' Not an easy job for a woman who has lived in the `pass lane' all her life. But I am delighting in the easy mornings I get to spend with her now, drinking coffee, waking up, having the time to speak in soft tones slowly.
Last weekend I rode 325 miles. Tonight after work I will head out to Burlington to do a midnight 100 miles, getting home by around 7am. Saturday and Sunday I will do 100 miles each, pushing hard knowing that I will not be pacing myself for the 12 -14 hour rides of late.
Amidst all of this I will be finishing up packing for RAW, readying the follow van, assuring that everything is buttoned up as Tuesday, June 1st, arrives and I move from one scheduled activity to the next ... until Noon, Wednesday, June 9th, in Oceanside.
And then the fun starts.
- Dan