Follow Your Dreams – April 2005

Dear Friends,

After a day of heavy rain, most of the snow has melted in our little corner of the Pocono’s, and since today is promising to get up near 60, mmm, mmm, mmm. Hope springs eternal. For me, being a gardener and a motorcycle enthusiast, it means that I will be fingering through the seed packets at Agway and dusting off my chaps and riding gear.

I can’t wait to plant some Sweet Annie, morning glory, Lemon Verbena and Angelica and get my vegetable garden started. Of course this will have to wait until “the clean up”. The melting snow has revealed the devastation of fallen branches from January’s ice storm. Still this has not dampened my zeal.

My husband Bill and I are looking forward to our next “riding” vacation to Arizona at the end of the month; we will be joined by several close friends. I’m eager to see the desert and meet those who live in such a different climate than I and learn about their flora and fauna. I can’t wait to visit Sedona and see Cathedral Rock and tour the energy vortexes. I know the plural for vortex is “vortices” but I’m told in Sedona they say “vortexes”.

But even as we plan in anticipation we are reminded of a recent tragedy to strike our circle of friends and family. Perhaps you remember last March, I told you about our friends, Jason and Holly who lost their 6 year old daughter, Cheyenne to a mysterious illness that baffled the doctors.  It turned out to be a streptococcus infection. Well this March, Holly joined Cheyenne. She was killed by a careless driver while riding her motorcycle. Nothing she could do would have avoided the accident once the driver set the wheels in motion. Sadly Jason who was riding with her saw it all and though he too was clipped, he was not seriously injured.

Now I suppose it would be easy to say “riding is becoming too dangerous and maybe you should hang up your goggles and chaps, people drive too carelessly”, but wouldn’t that be succumbing to fear. And most decisions that are made from a stand point of fear are generally not balanced or wholesome and seldom do they enhance our lives. Rather, fear causes us to shrink and withdraw. It also betrays the contract we made with ourselves and God to wear this human form and follow our passions.

I wouldn’t want to give up the fantastic experiences I’ve had on the road. We have a majestically beautiful country and I highly recommend that everyone at least one time take a road trip via the back roads and byways to see our beloved but often forgotten Americana. You’ll see the America that pictures can’t describe and meet the people that make this country so breathtakingly dynamic, colorful and unique. But while you’re out there, please give consideration to your fellow motorists, especially those on two wheels. Don’t try to beat them to the punch and when riding behind them, leave extra room.

Please say a prayer for Jason and also Holly’s Mom, that their hearts and lives will be healed.

Thank you all, and have a glorious spring! RIDE SAFE!!!

Love and Light, Lori