It's on days like this that I feel super grateful for the place I live in. A city that is architecturally beautiful in its own right but also dotted with meadows (containing actual, live cows) and crossed by a beautiful river (populated by houseboats, punts and rowers). This was our first ever family bike ride - 5 people, 5 bikes - and not a cargo bike or stabiliser in site.
It felt amazing!
I might be mourning the loss of my babies (all three of my muskateers are now at school), but little trips like this show me that there is a whole new world of adventure that is out there, just waiting for us now that they are older.
And that is exciting.
A new chapter is always a double-edged sword: loss of the old and apprehension for what lies ahead sit alongside excitement for the new and growth as we adjust to a different comfort zone.
I often forget to acknowledge transitions, allowing my focus to zoom immediately into the next stage. So I'm practising noticing this one and almost savouring it. Because when I do that, I become more present. Alive in the now rather than distracted by the past or daydreaming about the future.
And what does that bring? Freedom! And a release of energy (just think how much is wasted by dipping into stories about the past or future)...
Which is lucky, because I had to carry one of these bikes back perched ontop of my own. The new chapter has started. We're just not quite there yet 😁.