Grateful

Meat Cove - Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

I have revisited this picture a few times this week and, as I pedaled on my Thanksgiving bike ride, I realized why. This was taken last summer as a Freewheeling tour guide, Sada, and I headed back to Dingwall to have breakfast while a few hardy souls extended that days' ride. It was the day after an especially formidable ride over two mountains in Cape Breton Highlands National Park and I was feeling so very full and accomplished. That previous day, not only had we climbed switchback roads for mile after unrelenting mile, we also battled very strong headwinds and periods of torrential rain. Without a doubt, it was one of the most challenging days of bicycling I have ever experienced. And I loved it - every single moment of it! One of those moments will remain with me always. It was on a downhill run after the first of the two long climbs - my bike almost blew out from under me as the rain was pelting me from one side. And I laughed out loud with the realization that there was no other place that I would rather be, that I was actually right where I was supposed to be. I felt solid and strong and, though I knew I had another longer, steeper mountain to climb, I had no doubt that I could do it. Sopping wet, slightly chilled, extremely weary - I felt intrepid... and very, very grateful.

Here's a poem rooted in those sensations along with and many other wonderfully healing, enlightening and empowering experiences, both large and small, that I've had over the past several months. 

Grateful

For a heavenly body,
both separate and One.
For obstacles, eddies,
rapids and calm.
For embers, flames,
a sustaining star.
For varied breezes
and fullness of breath.
For the lightness of Love
and moments of Peace.
For chances of change,
opportunities of growth.
For expanding settledness
of inner terrain.
For courage and strength,
wisdom and wit.
For teaching and learning,
mothering and support.
For brisk bike rides
and cozy fires.
For nourishing food
and the sanctity of home.
For enjoying the company
of my very own self.
For the wonder of being -
I am
grateful.

Sarah Carlson

November 26, 2015