It began on a whim...a chance sighting of an advertisement for the Greater Washington Multiple Sclerosis Society MS150 Bike Tour. She told me she wanted to ride the event in my honor...my only deserving quality being the harsh fact I have MS.We spent the summer "training" together. EB riding her bike, walking hills, and building endurance...me, watching my friend transform and blossom before my eyes.
You see, although not diagnosed with MS, EB has had her share of recent life tragedies...painful losses that hardly compare to the bumps in the road my MS brings. This was HER summer, HER Ride of Passage, HER transformation, not mine. My MS was merely a catalyst in the grand scheme of things.
At 64 years old and still recovering from major life traumas, my friend mounted her bicycle on a crisp, Saturday morning, and rode off into a sea of nearly TWO THOUSAND cyclists...all riding in unity to support the cause of MS...all believing this noble feat can and would make a difference, help to find a cure, or provide "hope".
She didn't know tears fell from my eyes as I watched her silhouette become smaller and smaller and eventually fade out of sight that cool, Saturday morning as she raced away from the starting line. She didn't know the tears that were cascading from my eyes were for her, for me, and for the thousands of others diagnosed with MS I will never meet. She didn't know the heart-felt honor and grateful humility that overcame me as I watched her return from her ride, full of life and exuberance. She didn't know in that blessed moment of her return, pedaling across a long awaited finish line and bringing months and years of her life full circle that she was and would forever be my MS CHAMP and my HERO.
Perhaps now, she does.
And to all of the riders of the MS storm, I say this to you:
Run until you can run no more.
Walk until your legs no longer carry you.
Sing even after the music begins to fade.
And HOPE until your heart aches.
9 comments:
thanks a lot, now i've got tears running down my face & way the heck over in here in london!
so glad it went well & that saint eb made it and i'm also soooo proud to say i was one of many who was able to sponsor her (course mine was in zee & your honour)
can't wait to hear all the details of the weekend, xx
oh btw, I've linked this post to my blog, here for you to check out
Really LOVE those last few lines!
I am so proud of all of you and so happy all the riders made it safe and sound. Congratulations St EB (I will have to wait to see how Linda hurt her finger manning the party booth!)
Very inspirational. And foe a very good cause. My MIL asked me why I don't roll in that thing. I told her I haven't ridden a bike since I was a kid. I think I'm in trouble when the next susan komen walk comes around.
Hey. I have to ask. Did you guys stop at the Hawaiian rest stop? My boss and her harley club ran that.
Not having ever met Ms.EB, you have left me in tears and in need of a group hug. (Hubby's asleep and the pooch has no use for me this time of night.)
Kudos to you both! I'm impressed, and genuinely touched by the determination,intention,sense of community and caring. Now, how did you boo-boo your finger? Gotta hear it.
Go EB! GO! Wooot!
It's rare in life to find a "true friend". How lucky you are.
Ah, biking, I love biking. I don't have MS, I have something but the doc's can't figure out what it is. So I refuse to let it get me by staying active and ignoring it, well as much as I can. The more active I stay the more it stays in the background.
I figure that I will out live it and die in some other way. But if it does get me, so what? I've had a very interesting life and if I'm not here tomorrow I'm okay with that.
Well, maybe I'm not making much sense right now because it's been a long day, I'm just saying keep going, keep going, refuse to give up.
SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOTTA JUMP!
Yup, and learn how to fly on the way down. Anyway, good luck and hugs.
TO ALL Y'ALL:
Yep...exactly what you said!
LD
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