This summer, I drove a lot.
Even when I do the math now, the numbers of miles traversed by our Subaru don’t seem to add up. However, last week, after pulling into the driveway after a night at Yankee Stadium the numbers on the odometer stared back: 6,184.9
A diagnosis brings with it an entire new set of terms, appointments and doctors. For me, it also brought a different way to view the world. Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that carries an uncertain future. Day to day, I don’t know how I’m going to feel each day my feet hit the floor while progression of the disease later in life makes the longer view a little scarier. That level of uncertainty has brought me to a well-worn colloquialism that recommends to make hay while the sun is shining.
This summer, that’s what we did. 6184.9 miles of hay making to be exact.
We started this journey in June when the boys and I took an overnight road trip to see the Mets in Baltimore (surprisingly, they lost). As the summer continued, the family rode roller coasters, hiked in national parks and saw a dozen more baseball games. We viewed the work of Van Gogh and spent hours at the beach. As a dad, I spent invaluable time with my boys. We drove across our state, visiting historical sites and yes, even more baseball games. I took them camping with scouts, a throwback to my youth which brought me joy. While not always easy, the time we spent together was wonderful. They were things that we wanted to do, but more importantly they were things that we could do. Not knowing what might be around the bend, even by next summer, made this one that much more important.
Now that summer road trips have ended, I’m putting on new miles, this time on my bike as I tackle Bike MS NYC. I’ll be riding 30 miles to raise money in support of the National MS Society, an organization that helps people like me and families like mine to make hay while the sun is shining. Please consider donating at my page to support the work of this incredible organization
Also, wonderful summers like this are brought to you by teaching: the best job in the entire world.
