I have often mentioned that I am an ardent bike rider. I am a solid B- rider. On average, I ride about 150 miles a week. In warmer weather, the local bike club I belong sponsors a Tuesday night ride. It is rated an A ride. It leaves promptly at 6:00 pm. It is an extremely fast ride over country roads, covering about 20 to 24 miles. I often can’t keep up and usually find myself a half mile back from the other riders. I and another rider had about eight miles left on a ride when a car deliberately stopped in front of us. An irate man jumped out, waving a crutch and yelling about the indignities he is subjected to by all the bike riders that pass him on the road. Making sure we saw that he was an amputee, he pointed his crutch at us as if some supernatural force would be discharged and vaporize our bikes. He continued yelling and demanding an apology for whatever indignities we inflicted. He was using his crutch to direct his anger and frustration into the world, hoping the energy contained in his rage like a lightning bolt would strike us down.

I got off my bike, walked over to him, and told him how sorry I was. I extended my hand, shared my name, and asked him his. He told me his name was Ken. At that moment, Ken relaxed, and his anger began to dissipate. Maybe for the first time, in who knows how long he felt seen and heard. The intensity of the encounter diminished into a conversation. It’s impossible to know all the indignities that man might have suffered over the course of his life to bring him to the point of needing to chase down two bikers.

This man seemed lost in despair, craving to share his burden with anyone within shouting distance and desperately in need of a road map to redirect him back to a sense of self.

In that very short encounter, his life seemed to succumb to his despair. His anger was pushing away the very thing he yearned for, the very thing we all yearn for. He wanted to be heard, to be seen, and fundamentally feel a human connection. Those needs are basic to all of us and certainly important to me.

It’s all too easy for me to judge the circumstances of that man’s life. I have no idea what brought him to where he is. My own values and experience are unique to me and can only serve to define my life and no one else’s. I left my encounter with Ken with compassion for his life circumstances and a profound appreciation for the gift of my life.

I am often drawn to the insights shared by the well-known and popular astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. I was moved by a recent interview he gave. He was talking about the total number of unique human beings that can exist given all the possible combinations of our genes. He shared that, including the current population on the earth, there have been 100 billion people that lived on this planet. He went on to say that we all breathed air, observed sunsets, and gazed into the night sky, and just how special and rare that is considering the statistical likelihood that any given person would ever be created out of that pool of infinite genetic material. He explained that given the almost endless possibility of genetic variation in the human genome, most people who could potentially exist will never have those experiences. He concluded by adding, “You are as special a living entity as there ever was.” That gives me pause to deeply appreciate the gift of my life.

I start and end each day with meditation and prayer. That practice connects me to a deep-rooted acceptance of my life. Praying gives me an opportunity to embrace all that I was, all that I am, and all that I will become. Understanding what Neil deGasse Tyson shared, no life is a mistake. I have not experienced many coincidences in my life. I find that there tends to be a deliberateness to my life and how it unfolds. That process of revealing is usually not in my control. I am often left with the uncomfortable task of integrating what needs to be learned and understood. I am often left in amazement, bearing witness to the divine mystery of life itself. My choice is to always bring myself forward and lean into my life.

Like myself, others on a spiritual path find that there is a divide between the demands of daily life and the pursuits of spiritual growth. Yet, true spirituality finds its renewal not in withdrawal but in the fabric of ordinary actions and choices. Awakening to our deeper nature is not merely a transcendent experience to be held apart from life’s routines; instead, it must become the foundation from which our humanity expresses itself in the world.

While stepping away from the familiar can sometimes open the door to spiritual insight, this retreat is only a beginning. The ultimate journey is the reintegration of that truth back into the heart of everyday existence. Our humanity—our relationships, tasks, and encounters—is not separate from the spiritual path but is woven into its essence.

Each action, each moment, becomes an opportunity to bring our inner Presence to life. In this way, daily life becomes the sacred ground where we practice harmony, finding depth and unity with each breath and step we take.

Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of life, I remain open to Grace and the gift of my life.

If you have any questions, please email me at garymerel@gmail.com or call 732-208-2836. Also, please visit my website at leanintoyourlife.net