Who Do I Ride For?

Who do I ride for?
I ride for my dad, who went from diagnosed to dead in five months.
I ride for my mom, who had to support three teenagers who just lost their dad.
I ride for my siblings, even though they’re brats.
I ride for John, my best friends’ father, and a man I consider my second dad, who is going through his third (fourth? Fifth?) round of chemo.
I ride for Carole who continues to travel back and forth between two cities to cheer her mom up.
I ride for Bob, who is dealing with a shitload of cancer crap right now, but was still able to create ridiculous knock-knock jokes about it.
I ride for the woman who emailed me and lost her parents to the disease.
I ride for Liz, Lindsay, Peter and Jane who have shed tears because of it.
I ride for my co-worker who can’t ride this year due to complications because of his cancer.
I ride for my other co-worker who lost her father.
I ride for my friend who lost his grandma.
I ride for people who have shared their stories with me.
I ride for people in hospitals right now.
I ride for people at funerals right now.
I ride for hurting families and crying children.
I ride for people I’ve never met and people I’ve known forever.
I ride for the 180 people in Ontario who will find out today that they have cancer.
I ride for your parents and friends and aunts and partners who have had it.
I ride for that moment when you realize your life will never be the same.
I ride for you. I ride for me. I ride for them.
I ride for those who can’t.