Three years ago, my father-in-law passed away on Christmas morning after battling Alzheimer’s. He impacted his family in many ways – teaching his kids the value of hard work, showing me how calmness and patience were better than my agitation, and teaching his grandkids about Pistol Pete and all things basketball related.
But in this post, I want to share something else he left behind. A his and her pair of 1988 Peugeot St. Laurent bikes.
My oldest son, who grows like kudzu, has been asking for a new bike to ride on the road. So this year for Christmas, he will be riding his grandfathers’s Peugeot. The bike sat unused for over 20 years. After hours of cleaning, rebuilding, and replacing a few parts, my son has a what-feels-like-new road/gravel bike.
In my book, I tell the story of my grandfather accompanying me in spirit on a lonely stretch while I rode from Idaho into Wyoming.
I hope that one day, my son will feel the gentle hand of his grandfather guiding him as he rides the Peugeot up a long mountain road. Or maybe it will be the patience and gentleness of Poppy transferring through the bike to make his high school years a little easier.
We love you and we miss you!
