I know I posted something similar only a week ago about the great birdlife I saw while on my morning walk. But today was one of those days when I thought about that with all the multitasking we do and the emotional swirl that can surround us, there are still those simple moments that help provide balance. My main route is the route that a number of bicycle clubs take and so every weekend morning brings duos, trios, quarterts, and groups of cyclists whizzing past, but then on the sidewalk, there are some older couples out for a leisurely spin. That is older as in their 70s, and today was one of the times when a family was in the mix as well – dad, mom, and little girl riding on as pink a bike as you could ask for; training wheels firmly in place.

Before that though, as I was getting ready to turn the corner to go out of the development onto the main street, I yielded to allow a mom and teenaged daughter to go in front of me. They were laughing and speed walking and we nodded in a friendly way. I was not far behind them when we reached the main street where they took off on a jog, and I briefly wondered which one was the jogger, but perhaps they both are. There’s another  lady I see at times when our schedules sync as happened this morning, and a retired gentleman who faithfully puts in five miles a day, at a slow and steady pace.

I hit my turnaround point as a young man breezily passed me, sweat glistening on his muscled torso, his twenty-something rounding out the age spectrum. I don’t know what everyone I saw has planned for the day. I trust that most of them are going to be able to relax at least a bit and perhaps have an actual day off. My husband and I are both working, but that’s not unusual for us on a weekend. In our chosen second careers, our schedules are rather erratic, but it’s the nature of what we do and we’re accustomed to it. Just out of curiosity though, how many people try to take at least one day a week to “be off”?