Here is my friend Yvette, from Delhi, Canada.  We’d been cycling buddies for years, until my dear wife Jody died in November, 2014.  The last time I saw her was at Jody’s Celebration of Life in January, 2015 … eleven-and-a-half years ago.

How did we let this happen?

There was no antagonism between us.  We just faded away from each other.  It’s sad.  I’m sad.

And there was Yvette this morning at the Gent Sint-Pieters train station.  I’d told her that I might hide on her, but she found me before I could hatch my plan.  Just as sneaky as me!

As they say, and as it was today, we picked right up from where we left off, as if it was yesterday.  Easy.  Smiles abounding.  Stories spilling out.

Nothing was amiss … except eleven years of silence.

We talked about so much.  I’ll just go to one place. 

In 2007 or so, Yvette and her partner John created a bicycle ride.  There were different distances, with 100 kilometres probably being one.  The route explored rural roads within Norfolk County in Ontario, Canada.  Rest stops with refreshments for the 500 or so riders were provided, as was a simple meal at the end of the day.  It was appropriately named The Tour de Norfolk.

And it lasted for 16 years!

Yvette shared sad stories about the demise of the tour, which included a lack of interest from some public officials.  But the sadness was outshined by a wee smile of satisfaction about what she and John created.

Something emerged from nothing

A very fine something

In the Tour’s biggest year, about 900 cyclists pedalled the roads of Norfolk County during the Tour.  There must have been a lot of repeat riders year by year,  but let’s say each time there were 300 new folks in the event.

300 x 16 = 4800 human beings

…

Such a contribution to life, Yvette and John

Congratulations