I recently invested in something so utterly cool that I’m still in shock that it’s mine. A new car, you ask? Nope. Maybe something uber-techy? Try again. Stumped? Well, I’ll tell you. I bought myself a brand-spankin’-new Huffy cruiser bike. And it is indeed awesome.
My two kids, one of whom is four and has cystic fibrosis, have been badgering me to get a bike all summer. And on a recent trip to the sporting goods mecca Dick’s, this peach and turquoise beauty caught my eye and held it until I signed on the dotted line.
“What a dork,” you might be thinking. Where is she going with this, and what could this possibly have to do with cystic fibrosis? Well, let me tell you.
Through this beaut of a bike, I have discovered a new-found way to let off steam. You know that feeling that hits when it’s 7:00 at night and you just don’t think you can take it for another minute. “It” could be anything. Endless emails; monotonous children’s sporting events; the mysterious Crock pot meat that is gray and inedible after six hours of culinary toil.
But on my bike, I’m free of that. I’m pedaling down the street, hair flying, feeling a bit like Winnie Cooper without the gorgeous dark looks or adolescent admirers. I’m laughing with my daughter, who is furiously pedaling alongside me with her streamers flying and her grin as wide as the sky.
As my daughter grows, I’m hopeful that she will also embrace physical activity as a way to let off steam and improve lung function to boot. She’s fresh off a summer of swimming lessons and dance classes and is ready (i.e. has procured hot pink cleats) to take the soccer field by storm. Alongside preschool, spending time with her family, and just being a regular little kid, her body is strong, and her life is full.
I just hope it’s not too full. After all, we have a 7:00 standing date to cruise…
Help Others Live STRONGER and LONGER-
Laura Spiegel is the mother of two wonderful kiddos, one who has CF. She lives in Indianapolis and enjoys a good book, a great meal, and nightly dancing in her kitchen. Laura is also a member of the CFLF Board of Directors. She can be contacted at lauraspiegel7@gmail.com
***Views expressed in the CFLF Blog are those of the bloggers themselves and not necessarily of the Cystic Fibrosis Lifestyle Foundation***
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