Cycles of Life

I took the Raleigh Grand Prix out for the first time this spring. The last time I rode the Grand Prix was in November, a sad occasion. Winter was approaching, and while I know a Louisiana winter is insignificant by most standards, the shortening of the days and the wet cold can make the days bleak.

Today, the azaleas and hawthorne are beginning to bloom, and the evening air is a spicy bouquet, temperate and still. As I rode, I thought about the Zacarius video on transformation. I thought about Vivi, and Darla, Chester and Bear... and Cassie. I thought about the nurse at work who just today found out that she had passed her boards and become a registered nurse. I rode past a grove of magnificent cherry trees in full bloom, and recalled the cherry blossom season in Japan.

I have changed much since I left Atsugi Japan. Eighteen years have come and gone. Much has changed just since November. The days are getting longer, and soon I will again be riding to work in the morning light. It's often said that the only constant in life is change, but the rhythms of repeated cycles provides a pattern for the tapestry of our inexorable transformation.