Even before J died, much of our focus was on his wife and kids. He never quit, but we knew the end was coming. The question we had, and still have, was how was his family going to move on? And how could we, as their community, support them in this next stage? We found a way this past weekend when about 50 of the neighbors gathered together to do a spring clean up at J’s house.
While the majority of the folks involved were from the neighborhood, not everyone knew J or his family. However, that didn’t matter; we just wanted to do something nice for them.
When we were finished, we accomplished what we had set out to do; we completed those projects that J never had the chance to. This little act also brought everyone closer. I really believe that it helped prepare us for the next steps in supporting the family.
On a personal level, this whole experience is nothing that I’ve experienced before and to see people pulling together like this was very special. I was honored to be a part of it.
Training Rides:
I’ve been able to get in two more rides as I prepare myself for the 2011 Pan-Mass Challenge. I was able to get out last Saturday morning and it was a difficult ride. The route and the time was the same. However, my legs were quite spent and for whatever reason I was yawning constantly and it is very hard to ride like that. My Tuesday early AM ride was much better. I’m looking to ride a little longer this upcoming weekend.
