okay, but back to me

I write about me a lot, don't I?
I'm really not as egocentric as it might appear, though I do love to tell stories and ~ go figure ~ they usually include me as the protagonist. I could just go around telling stories about other people, but those tend to either fall into the gossip category, or the "but it's not my story to tell" category.
but here's one that I feel safe relaying, because this particular protagonist has already put it out there for the world to see, read, and know on his own blog, www.fatcyclist.com.

I don't recall the story of how I found his blog, but I do remember seeing Fat Cyclist jerseys on my first lotoja ride, almost 2 years ago. the Fat Cyclist logo is a clydesdale, which is a pretty distinctive mascot to have on a cycling jersey. not to mention that one of the jerseys was pink. this is not your typical team cycling jersey. (though I did see an awesome beer-themed cycling jersey at the MS ride last year, and I've been racking my brain to try to recall the motto: something clever about riding and then drinking. if you know this, please share!)

it was some time later before I found the Fat Cyclist blog, and discovered that I was about the 10 millionth person to do so. I won't go on and on here, as I've done this before and it's just as easy for you to go to his site and pick up the history firsthand. suffice to say that he's clever, verbose, funny, committed, and currently in a world of hurt.
his wife has been battling cancer, and its grip has tightened and been squeezing this family more and more mercilessly over the last little while.

we all have our battles, our stuff, our challenges, our rewards, and our devastations. and while we're on upswings, it's sometimes difficult to remember that a good half the world is experiencing something quite opposite.
if you go visit fatty at www.fatcyclist.com, check out his 7/28 post where you can view his 6 minutes of joy. because even at a terrifyingly difficult part of life, he is able to acknowledge that beauty and joy exist. and more importantly, he's able to admit that he needs to incorporate these things into his life, and does so.

back to me, though: I am incredibly blessed and grateful for all the grace that surrounds and weaves through my life. I hold a firm belief that humans are resilient and capable of weathering fairly intolerable storms, and that we are always gently guided to (and through) what is the best experience for us at any given time.
therefore, the crappy, awful, painful things are crucial, and necessary for creating the people we are becoming. like the forge's fire and the unforgiving anvil, these experiences form us and give shape and definition to our character, our hearts, and our very beings.

but I'd say it might be time to let fatty off the anvil.
that's just my opinion. of course.
so I wish for him continued joys and moments of peace, an overflow of love and care from those who surround him and from within his own heart, and ultimately, a soaring rise from the the fire as a phoenix full of power, compassion, empathy, strength, and love.