Do you have a best friend?  I have lots of them, but I haven’t been able to see most of them lately.  Except for one.  Ivy.  She’s great.  She is always ready to go wherever and whenever I am.  I’ve never had a more dependable and willing friend.  And we’ve been spending a lot of time together. 

Take last week for example.  It was a rough week for me for various reasons, but whenever Ivy and I were together, she was the greatest listener.  She didn’t try to ‘fix’ my problems; she just listened.  We went places and had long conversations, sometimes out loud and sometimes just in my head.  But she heard and felt every word.  There were also long periods of silence.  You know the kind, not awkward or uncomfortable but just peaceful silence shared by two friends. There is a certain trust that develops between two friends like me and Ivy.  A trust that you appreciate.  In these uncertain times that seem to be never ending, it’s important for everyone to have an Ivy in their lives.

My Ivy just happens to be my bicycle.   Some of you may think I’m crazy that I consider this inanimate object a friend, but I’ll bet there are a few of you out there that feel the same way I do about your ‘Ivy’.  And like me, you may be spending a little more time with your friend and taking a little better care of them than before. And I would challenge anyone to tell me this isn’t a healthy thing to be doing right now, both mentally and physically.  As a matter of fact, recent data shows that many of you are doing just that.  Bike shops all over the state are reporting increased sales and service requests.  Awesome!

So keep it up.  Take your friend out for a spin and have a convo.  Tell a few jokes, sing, solve the world’s problems.  Or just enjoy some silence. I guarantee you’ll feel better.  After all, what are friends for?