On Hold

The weather has been gloomy with only Wednesday being any good for decent riding. It’s bike week here in New Hampshire, and I would have considered a ride to Laconia yesterday, but I’m in a holding pattern waiting for the stork.

You read correctly, I am stepping away from the motorcycle for a week to spend time with my daughter as soon as the stork arrives. He is now two days overdue. With the impending arrival of my newest grandson the Pat Henderson’s Life and Motorcycle Blog will focus on the Life side of things for now.

Motorcycling is a great pastime, passion and hobby for many of us. While it is what we like to do, it does not fully define who we are. And while our kids are not us, they are from us. We love them, care for them, teach them and let them go into the world. As my children move forward into a future that is not mine, I feel privileged to be invited to share in the experience of the first week of a new life.

It is an opportunity to feel a small fist around my finger. Breathe in deeply the scent of a new born babe and find time to rock quietly in a corner and listen to new baby sounds. I intend to kiss soft smooth flesh, examine fingers and toes and look for familial resemblances in a small new face.

Then too, I have a special opportunity to bond more closely with my two-year-old granddaughter. Hear her giggle, read silly stories, chase chipmunks in the back yard, and swing as high as we can ‘til our toes touch the sky. Make Play Doh cakes, assemble picture puzzles, wipe sticky kisses from my face, and lift a tousled haired and rosy cheeked child waking from a nap. These moments in life are fleeting and I intend to cherish each and every moment.

When the blog goes quiet for a bit, don’t be concerned. I’m off chasing butterflies, drinking my juice box, eating a Cheerios snack, digging in the sandbox and watching the birds at the feeder. When that is done, I will be rocking the baby, singing lullabies and holding the moment closely before it slips away into a future I cannot follow.



Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They came through you but not from you
and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.


~Kahlil Gibran~