My personal motto: To joyfully embrace the people, pathways and perspectives I encounter while riding.

When I first learned how to ride I not only felt like I was physically flying but spiritually flying as well. For the first time since being a little girl growing up along the shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota, I felt the enchantment the world has to offer. Memories of that gorgeous, enormous lake sparkling and glinting in the morning sun, like someone had sprinkled fairy dust, came back to delight me. Life back then had no weight, no boundaries. Life back then was filled with passion and every new adventure was met with joyful abandon. This is how I feel when I climb onto my motorcycle and ride. I feel like I could be Tinkerbell. ( I think her derriere is much smaller than mine, however) Who would have guessed at 48 years of age I’d get to feel like that again? It is awesome.

When I hear of someone getting injured or killed while riding I lose that feeling of enchantment for a moment. It is such a risky passion in which to be involved. But, like so many, I can’t give it up. It makes me a better and happier person. Like so many I would rather ride, enjoying my life while I have it to live, than sit in fear wishing I could live it more fully.

When someone does get injured or worse, because they chose to ride, it is a traumatic and often devastating event. The hearts of those affected start to look for comfort…and that comfort needs to come, in part, from the biker community and those who understand the need to ride.

When I realized there was not any place on-line for the biker community to gather to help each other heal from this kind of trauma, I decided to take on that challenge.

I am the mother of three teens and have been married 18 years to date. I am really good at gardening and singing and fairly good at playing the guitar, piano and Celtic lever harp.

 I was a hospice volunteer a number of years ago.  I studied for a year within the Episcopal Church to be ordained a deacon until I was told “they” thought I was not called ( yes, that is a bit of residual anger you hear). During that year I was involved in something called Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) which offered me the experience of being a hospital chaplain for about 6 months. I then enrolled in and completed another CPE program through a trauma hospital which lasted nine months and covered 100 hours of class time and approx 400 hours of floor time

I have always felt a calling to those in emotional crisis, and especially to those who are dealing with death. It seems only fitting, now that I am a passionate and avid motorcyclist, that I try to provide a place for my sister and brother riders and their loved ones to gather. If tragedy has touched your life because of a motorcycle accident you can come here and reach out to get and give support from the people who will most likely understand.

In Joy,

     Tink

NJ State Director

Sisters in Spirit - Riding Association for Women