Life is a Journey
Friday, November 6th, 2009A few weeks ago while on vacation in the Rocky Mountains, my honey and I were riding down Vail Pass on a tandem bicycle. Against the bright blue sky the bright gold aspen were picture postcard worthy as we glided down a quiet bike path; at first, the protective embrace of the trees and the proximity of my partner made the ride feel safe, secure and quietly at peace. However, as the incline of the descent increased and the twists and turns became tighter the anxiety heightened. At 10,000 feet the altitude had already provoked a strange queasiness and as we hurtled down the mountain I felt out of control.
We also passed bikers struggling up hill, grimacing and panting but somehow exuberant in their accomplishment. Each stroke of their pedal was difficult. However, for us, the effort was keeping our wheels grounded and the bike on the path without breaking so hard we would fly over the handle bars into the brush.
When we finally reached our destination, the cozy little town of Frisco, Colorado it dawned on me that the biking experience was similar to a relationship. We had committed to make a journey as a unit and at first blush it was spectacular. In retrospect it wasn’t a snap. It took team work, will, determination and sometimes pure dumb luck to meander our way down the mountain into the breezy flat ride that followed to Breckenridge.
Along the way we saw broken down bikes, exhausted riders and flat tires. This is what we see daily at A Fair Way Mediation Center: People of all backgrounds whose journey has run into bumps in the road and many times whose relationship has crashed into the side of the mountain. Along the way they’ve enjoyed plenty of good times, but in the end, instead of littering the trail with Power Bar wrappers, broken spokes and plastic water bottles, they’ve ended up with homes to be divided, children to care for and confusion as how to be fair as they set about repairing their lives.
That’s where we come in. We sit down with all kinds of people: gay, straight, young and not so young and give them a hand sorting out the sadness, the anger, the disappointments and sometimes just the day to day ins and outs of making their lives whole again.
Life is a journey. Sometimes you run off the road. But it’s like riding a bicycle. You can get on and ride again. We’ll give you a hand. Call me at 619-702-9174 or shoot me an email at imfair4u@aol.com. Our web site is www.afairway.com for more information.