Life hands you many moments as father. The birth of a child. The loss of a grandparent/parent/friend. The graduation of a child. The decline of health and vitality of your parents. The ups and downs of a career/job. All of these represent change. Change and our response to it is one thing that determines our happiness throughout life. More importantly, our level of fulfillment
During all of this change, its important to find and maintain a view point on life that keeps you fulfilled.
Simplicity in life can help you appreciate what is in front of you. My Fathers Day formula is 1 part reflection, 1 part warm weather, and 1 vintage bike. An hour with no destination or planned route works every time
A lot has happened this week
The Bad
- Driving over 3000 miles with a full car
- Getting a raging sun burn on my feet (yeah, I’m a dumb ass)
- Running over something in the road to only get a flat tire at in the middle of the day , 9 hours from home, to have a 3 hour delay getting home.
- Having to get up after 3 hours of sleep to drive 3 hours to a funeral of a beloved aunt.
Those are all negative things and easy to complain about.
The Good
There are also positive things
- Getting my kids (both in their late teens) to get up and watch a sunrise on the beach
- Seeing my kids enjoy foods they’ve never had before because I was positive about them. Including raw oysters.
- Having an unplanned 2 hour diversion to Jack Daniel’s for a tour
These are just a few things, but they are moments that will stick with both my kids and with me for the rest of our lives. Ending the week with a funeral highlights the importance of just that. Life is short and finding positive moments as a father (or even MAKING MOMENTS POSITIVE) is key to happiness .
This Fathers Day, find your moment, big or small , and make it count.
Riding has been my gateway to finding these moments and i hope it will continue to for many many years.
Keep riding, keep reflecting, and keep safe.