Breathe in, breathe out. Rhythmically. Peacefully. Keep moving, hands gripped loosely.
Stop to watch the deer in that verdant place where the path bends, and to take yet more photos of thistle fluff in the secret, magic meadow by the power lines.
Laugh as Gulf Fritillary butterflies always seem to ride alongside you.
Dodge the squirrels, the only stress you encounter despite the Beware of Snakes sign.
Smile as the golden cattails catch you off guard with their astounding beauty, yet again, after you cross the bridge and the boardwalk.
Hear the monkey birds and an occasional on your left as someone striving for a personal best whips by on a road bike.
Say hi to the elder in a wheelchair and the child on the pink bike with tassels.
Pick out a book from the Little Free Library about women’s diary entries during our country’s westward expansion. Then, meander off path, through the woods, and think about your own journey and where in the world it might take you next.
See the forest for the trees — how your life, your loves, your losses, and your looming opportunities are all coming together. Finally.
And let these moments in time, in prayer, carry you onward in your own expansion.
Traveling at the Speed of Bike 