Day Sixteen: Setting the Sun in Michigan

We've made it to another state as we continue to trudge westward!

And what trudging it was! It rained for most of the day today (and I'm sure you're all familiar with how much I dislike cycling in the rain--it's so uncomfortable). However, unlike last time, the temperature was higher and the rain was warmer so it wasn't so bad. Besides, (like I always tell myself) I'm sure any cancer-patient would much rather be having to deal with a day in the rain than having to deal with cancer. Suddenly the rain doesn't seem like much of a problem.

So I get over it, and I move on. I stop periodically to wipe my glasses and scrub some mud off my shins, but I keep going, along with my group, along with the whole team. We keep moving, pushing forward to our next destination, which just so happened to be Ann Arbor, Michigan. We took the back roads out of Ohio, through farm fields aplenty and famished fallows, over dirt roads and muddy potholes, past crossroads with no street signs and turns that looked like something out of a scary movie (have you ever seen Wrong Turn?). Despite getting lost, pedaling through mud (up hills, mind you), being hungry, wet, and cold it was still a great day. The rain stopped, the roads became paved and we had a filling lunch.

On this ride things turn quickly, shifting from bad to good and from good to bad as often as we shift our gears along the way. Still, everyday still manages to be a great day. Everyday is a great day because we're alive, we're moving forward, and we have the support of many, many others. Additionally, I'm learning to be grateful for the little things, things normally taken for granted: a shower to clean me, some food to feed me, and a place to rest my head. I'm grateful for my loved ones, my health, and the opportunities that I have been so fortunate to have come across. Not everyone has such things, but I wish everyone could.

I'm truly grateful, and that's why I believe I'm truly happy. What have you taken for granted today? You're one "thank you" away from happiness.

Don't forget to smile :), it's good for you,
James

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Today's ride is dedicated to Kathy Ramos, a neighbor and family friend who is bravely undergoing the battle against cancer. Today is to show her that she can do it and that there are those of us out there who are fighting alongside her in many different ways. Best wishes and blessings!