Threads of a Friday

• Welcoming Practice-Usually, I'm the one running it now. Not this morning. I had swim practice complete with a clock (which is making all my swimmer friends groan) at 6:30. There may be nothing more placid nor enjoyable than the sound of swish coupled with a crisp flip turn. Also, I really like that the group of people, granted I'm the youngest easily by a decade, are so welcoming and encouraging. Then, it was off for a bike ride with the ladies of Cpep. This was awesome for a few reasons: 

1. I thought it was going to be a stroll. It ended up as a traverse of 24 miles of Cpep backcountry/town. 
2. There were 7 ladies. Riding tire to tire. Granted we aren't Tour de France by a long shot, but it's really inspiring to be riding with all these ladies who I either went to high school with their kids or now coach their kids. Our lives are all interrelated.  You can't beat camaraderie of a bunch of ladies with a common goal of getting a good workout while enjoying each others' company.
3. The heat wave was coming and we were going to beat it.

• Loyal Dog-My family has made it to the beach or is working their way to the beach. This year, for the first time in probably 10 years, I rode with my parents. I forgot that riding with my parents, consequently meant I'd be sharing the backseat with Portis (Worth's dog) for a few hours.  Well, God bless his little soul. He's so good, yet so bad--like any child. We shared that backseat and talked and slept. Thank goodness my brother rescued him years ago. Homeless to living it up at the beach.
• Laughing Dinner-You know it's a good dinner by 3 facts: the people you share it with, the food, and the laughter. Well, check all of those 3 off. My Orange Crush ended up all over the table and Dad after I laughed.
• Dream Race-The OmaHOOS have been racing hard at the Olympic Trials. A few Hoos have made the swimming Olympic team. A friend of mine from school had a chance tonight to make the team. I give him credit. He kept training after graduation. He went for it. He missed the Olympic team by 0.04 of a second. Golliday.
• Devastating Storms-I'll be honest, I have nothing that compares to what the texts, phone calls, and Facebook have to say that happened in Cpep.  I woke up around midnight to Portis walking all over me. The storms had arrived. We cuddled and watched and listened. I think I experienced a minute hurricane.  The wind and lightning were so extreme.  I know many are without power and I can only hope people help each other during this time.

Moral of the Story: Throughout today, there were all these threads to my life being woven. But, there was one constant. A friend texted, 'are you worried?' And, it made me think. I do not worry. Why? For I know, I'm in God's hands. Quite simply, that is the truth. Whether I'm sweating while riding, being gently clawed by Portis, eating dinner, feeling for a friend whose Olympic dream just got crushed, or experiencing nature's fury there's one comfort in God for me.