9/1/10

As the home stretch comes into view and focus shifts from the ride to the ride home, some thanks are in order, but in no particular order.

Without the SAG team, there would have been no ride, no riders, nothing.  Period.  End of story.  So to Mama Chris (the Saint), Stephen Belt, Joy and Tom Comeau (“the Coconuts” as the Mayor calls them) and even to the Mayor himself (that's John Mocella, mayor of BikeTown), thank you for your unwavering good nature, endless efforts, gallons of Gatorade, cartons of Clif bars, hours of route planning and driving, and just plain suffering with/because of the riders.  THANK YOU!

The strongest riders on this adventure have been Pete, Karl and Sara—just my opinion, kids.  They are also the most generous with their strength, constantly taking the “pulls” on the paceline, ready to help escort some straggler (like me) back to the main group, stay with someone who's suffered a mechanical, or just encourage another rider.  They have been the backbone of the team's daily efforts and have seen us through some very trying days, physically and emotionally.  Thank you, my friends, for seeing us through.

To the Kids—Bethany, Jeremy, Sara and Karl (though Karl's “kid” status may become honorary in light of a recent birthday), your energy, enthusiasm and boundless good nature have brightened up those   soggy gray, rainy days on the road.  Your deep spirituality, thoughtfulness and humility have more than once struck me with wonder.  Awesome, Kids!  Keep it up!

To my fellow “Old Guys”--the Mayor, Stiggy, my long-suffering spouse, and honorary “old guys” Jason and Deb (they ride too fast to really be “old guys”), thanks for the companionship and friendship from “the Back of the Pack.”  The Dude abides.  You know what I mean.

The segment riders, segment SAGers, C4C support staff, various Catholic Charities executives and workers, and our family, friends and co-workers back home have made this a seamless experience and have lightened the load for us.  Thanks are due to them.  Particular thanks to Tom D. for the coffee (Can the entire country be unable to make a decent cup of coffee?).

For tears during your homilies, for throat-choking memories, for conscience-searing scenes at various C4C stops, for 9 years of gifted pastoring (Is that a word?), for friendship and honorary Ruhl-ness, and ultimately for thinking up some really inspired and goofy trips, thank you, Matthew.

Finally, a prayer of thanks for sharing the treasures of your Church, opening our eyes to see them as they are, challenging us to do something about it, quieting our anxiety, protecting us on this ride, and meeting us every single day--thank you, Lord.

P.S.  Thanks, Lissa, you were right!  I love you!

- Tom Whittaker

8/30/10

It Must Be Said  

What a blessing it is to be back with my fellow C4C Teammates!  I missed them all and the fellowship we had.  I am fortunate to be able to call them “friends.”  Their prayers, care and concern for me are truly humbling.  I am grateful to God for allowing my life to intersect with theirs and I pray they will continue to cross paths over our lifetimes.

Prayers Answered

Every morning on the ride we have gathered in prayer before our departure.  It is custom that we pray for the people of that particular area, their needs, and for the needs of the poor.  It has also been custom Fr. Matt concludes every prayer that God will let us ride “with peaceful minds and strong hearts.”

Some days we’d have both.  Some days we might have one of those.  Other days it was a challenge to experience either.

The early part of the trip brought all the excitement of this incredible adventure:  Majestic views.  Warm hospitality. Fresh legs.  Over time the body wears down and those legs aren’t so fresh.  One won’t find the striking beauty of the Grand Tetons on the horizon all the time.  Then there’s the comforts of family and home.  All of these factors have led all of us to experience incredible emotional highs and some lows.

 About 6 weeks ago my mind was not peaceful and my heart was not strong.  A couple weeks later I returned home to family where they filled the hole of a broken heart that had missed them so much.  It was also decided that a change needed to be made on the work front.  My desire has always been to be involved with an organization that can have a transformative impact on people’s lives.  And while Catholic Charities offered that, it was no longer the place for me to be and the decision was made to part ways.

When such a decision is made, I learned who my true friends are.  At the same time, I also learned who were not my friends.  And that’s ok for I am blessed with the gift of genuine friendship and grateful I won’t have to suffer the false sincerity of others.

What I do have is a peaceful mind.  And my heart is strong thanks to the love of my family and the love of God.  The mind is peaceful because my trust is in God and He has not, nor will He, let me down.   

This has been an incredible summer — one of a lifetime.  It’s had its share of struggles no doubt.  But my prayer for a peaceful mind and a strong heart was answered.  All I had to do was look in front of me at the blessings I had and to take that simple step of trust in God and not in myself.

Rider’s Rambings:  Back In The Saddle

Although I’m not a native, I’ve become a Westerner at heart.  It’s not just the scenery, it’s also the attitude and the lifestyle.  Being accustomed to living a mile above sea-level makes for a tough jump into the heat and humidity of south Florida.  Not to mention the change in time zone! 

It was no surprise that after flying all day and then getting up at the equivalent of 3:00 a.m. Mountain Time I was ”challenged” in my first ride.  It’d also been a month since I’d been on a bike.  Suffice to say, I ”bonked” at mile 58.  13 miles later the bike was on the van and we were on our way to the hotel.  It was just 3 more miles to finish, but there was no way I was going to make it.  

The 2nd day back it was not as humid and the 65 miles was manageable.  A rest day to follow and a short ride the following day will make it easier on this out-of-shape cyclist. 

All I can say is, “It’s great to be back.”