Becky had a great idea for us this morning. When we left the house for our bike ride we were both caught a little off guard by the very dark clouds roiling in the west. As luck would have it neither of us happened to look that direction until we were pedaling down our street. I pulled up the weather quick, confirmed what we were seeing, and decided to pedal around the island instead of hitting the trails. We had initially planned on hitting the trails as we both prefer the quiet of the woods, but we rolled with what life was throwing our way.

The first five miles went well and the clouds were moving much more slowly than expected. Balancing that with the flash of lightning in the sky we opted to go a ways further and biked along streets with tall trees. By the time we go to the north end of the island we did a quick U turn and went back to deck that overlooks Lake Onalaska. The storm clouds looming in front of us changed our plans in a frustrating way. In spite of that, they had a spectacular beauty to them. We paused and appreciated the storm, the very thing that had changed our plans. We were thankful to take a moment to breathe in the pre-rain air, to watch the mercurial shimmer of the silvery water, and to be thankful for the moment. It was not where we planned to be but we appreciated the fact that we were there, alive, and together, in that moment.

Off we went heading to the south end of the island. We almost bumped into each other (100% my fault) and we laughed it off. We had great conversation about important and meaningful things as well as nothing at all. We enjoyed the ride.

There was a little drizzle and we had to make a choice. Stay dry and head home or get some extra miles in like we wanted and risk getting wet. We measured the risk and knew the only thing to fear was wet clothes so we opted for more miles. Right about the time we hit the point of no return the skies opened up and dumped on us. We both laughed it off as I told Becky we should have pina coladas tonight as we obviously both liked getting caught in the rain. You’re welcome for the ear worm 😉 We assessed the risk, chose the right option for us, and enjoyed it even when it didn’t go as expected.

By the time we got home the rain had relented but our clothes were still soggy. Regardless of the cold damp shorts I was now wearing I was smiling from ear to ear. It was a wonderful start to our day and it really set the tone for the next twelve hours or so.

Throughout the day it got me thinking and I couldn’t help but see the similarities between this and life, between the ride and living in Covid times. We rolled with the challenges life presented us. We were thankful for the present. We found beauty in the changes we had to make. We found that we always had the ability to choose our attitude. We chose optimism, positivity, and gratitude. We made the decision to find beauty in the challenge. Gratitude… what a difference it makes.

All morning long there’s been another song stuck in my head – Superheroes by The Script.

When you’ve been fighting for it all your life

You’ve been struggling to make things right

That’s how a superhero learns to fly

Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power

The Script, Superheroes

For sure, COVID sucks for many reasons. We can’t change that. What we can do is find ways to grow through this, find reasons to be grateful, and find ways to adapt. COVID can cause challenges, but it is we who choose how we live through this. I choose life. I choose gratitude. I am finding ways to become better/stronger/more joyful/more positive through this challenging time.

What’s your choice? How will you choose to live? What attitude will you choose?

Thanks!!!