Nurses

This week as I’ve been riding, I’ve been thinking about nurses and their critical role in healing. We visited our “bonus siblings “, Jim and Helene in their rehab journey. Helene is a nurse and has high standards for care. She has had nothing but compliments about the staff that is caring for Jim and her. We are so grateful for their care.

We took my parents for their wellness visit. The intake nurse kept them laughing, and they kept her laughing. She threatened to take away my mom‘s power wheelchair.😆Laughing was good medicine in itself.

Our beloved daughter-in-law is a nurse and so is her mom. They’ve cared for many others and continue to do so.

Like teachers, nurses can be the unsung heroes in many people’s stories. Of course they are technically competent-checking blood pressure, inserting IVs, emptying bed pans. But they also encourage, laugh, listen, and know when to be quiet.

I imagine that nurses have quite an important role in caring for the children for whom we ride. Researchers and doctors have a critical role. But the day-to-day treatments are administered by nurses. Today I am riding for them and all that they do to care for these children and comfort their families..Thank you!

Grandparents

This week, as we approach Grandparents Day on Sunday, I’ve been thinking about grandparents and grandchildren. We called my maternal grandparents MomMom and PopPop. Our paternal grandmother‘s nickname was Nan.

The siblings and I have a variety of memories of each of them. MomMom was a seamstress. I remember women coming to the house to have her “take in” a dress or “take up” a hem. She made slip covers and draperies. She even had one of those dress forms on a stand. Pop Pop was an electrician by trade and a true tinkerer. He loved to fix just about anything and he created things.

We loved staying overnight at their house. We played a lot of board games and card games.

Nan was famous for her fruitcake-a recipe in her handwriting that I recently discovered.

I think about how my parents and Doug‘s parents grandparented our boys. They each had their own style and own gifts to share with them.

And now as Doug and I are grandparents, we navigate the complexities of grandparenting in these times. It is such a joy. I often tell people that grandparenting is “delicious “.

I picture each grandchild in my mind, as I am riding. And I am especially thinking of our Charlotte this month. 😘 She is a fascinating four year-old, full of spunk and love. One of the child ambassadors for the Great Cycle Challenge is also a four-year-old girl named Charlotte. She has been bravely fighting B Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia since September 2024. She is currently in maintenance treatment, which includes both daily and weekly oral chemo medications and a lumbar puncture and port chemo every three months. She and her family have been through a lot. So I picture her face and our Charlotte’s face as I ride. And I continue to pray for these researchers to come up with better solutions for these families..❤️

Sunrise, Sunset…

This week, as I have been riding, I have this song in my head. As I remember it, it is from “fiddler on the roof “.?

The kids are heading back to school.-photos on the front porch being taken, with or without the pets, new backpacks, sharpened pencils, new teachers, new start times 😁. How could we have a granddaughter starting high school? Sunrise, sunset…

As I ride for these children and their families, I imagine many of them struggle with the passing of time. When life is consumed by doctor appointments, lab results, treatments, and medication, it is hard to see the positive.

All of us who ride for this cause hope and pray that scientists can discover better solutions for the kids and their families.

Sunrise, Sunset

Song by Perry Como

Lyrics

Is this the little girl I carried

Is this the little boy at play?

I don't remember growing older

When did they?

When did she get to be a beauty

When did he grow to be so tall?

Wasn't it yesterday that they were small?

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly flow the days

Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers

Blossoming even as they gaze

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly fly the years

One season following another

Laden with happiness and tears