A Prayer for My Brother on the Road

There are moments on the road when silence becomes prayer.

The hum of the engine fades, the horizon widens, and you feel part of something older than asphalt and steel. That’s how I felt the first time I read Chief Dan George’s “Prayer for My Brother the Bear.”

It wasn’t just a prayer for an animal. It was a promise for how to live – and how to ride – in harmony with everything alive.

Today, I ride not only for freedom but for connection. For all the people I meet on the road – brothers, sisters, strangers, kindred souls. And this prayer has become my compass.

1. The Moonlight of Memory

"Make the moon shine softly during the nights of his childhood so that the warmth of his mother will always be in his memory."

When you’re far from home, riding beneath the open sky, memory becomes your anchor. The scent of pine, a forgotten melody, a mother’s laughter – these are the moonlights that keep your soul warm on cold nights.

For many riders, travel starts as an escape but becomes a return – not to a place, but to who we were before the world told us to rush. The moon reminds us that light can be gentle. That power doesn’t need noise. That even the toughest rider carries tenderness beneath the leather.

I’ve met bikers hardened by miles and weather, yet when they speak of family, their voices soften. Maybe the Great Spirit knew – our strength grows from remembering warmth, not hiding from it.

2. The Sweetness of Life

"Make the berries grow in abundance and sweetness so that the vigor of life will strengthen his heart."

The road teaches appetite. For wind, for discovery, for life. But there’s another kind of hunger – for the sweetness in simple things. The first coffee of the day at a lonely diner. The laughter shared with a stranger over a flat tire. The berries of life aren’t just found in forests; they grow wherever we stop long enough to taste them.

Too many travelers race through beauty. They measure distance, not depth. But strength isn’t in endurance alone. It’s in savoring. It’s in joy.

So let’s eat slowly, ride gently, and live fully. Let the heart be strengthened not by speed, but by sweetness.

3. The Carefree Spirit

"Let the wildflowers refresh his temperament so that his manner will always be carefree."

Wildflowers grow where no one expects them. Between cracks of rock, beside exhaust-stained highways. They remind us that beauty doesn’t need permission.

When I stop to rest and see them bending in the wind, I think about people I’ve met – free souls, resilient hearts, each carrying their color. The road can harden you if you let it, but the wise let it soften them instead.

Carefree doesn’t mean careless. It means trusting life to bloom even in harsh terrain. That’s what travel does – it makes us lighter. We shed plans, expectations, old identities. And like wildflowers, we learn to grow wherever the sun touches us.

4. The Strength to Roam

"Give his legs swiftness and strength so they will always carry him to freedom."

There’s a rhythm in long rides that feels like prayer. Each mile strips away another layer of unnecessary thought until all that’s left is motion – pure, grounded, and free.

Freedom isn’t the absence of responsibility; it’s the presence of direction. It’s when your legs, your heart, and your purpose move as one.

I often wonder what freedom means for each rider I meet. For some, it’s escaping a cubicle. For others, it’s chasing a horizon. For me, it’s knowing that every journey is self-chosen. That no road owns me – I simply follow where my spirit feels lightest.

5. The Companions of the Path

"Let only those men share his path who in their hearts know his beauty and respect his strength."

Every traveler learns this lesson: not everyone is meant to ride with you. Some people join your road for a while, then turn off toward their own horizon. Others stay through storms, helping you fix a chain under the rain.

The Great Spirit must have known that life, like travel, is sacred company. The ones who understand your rhythm, your silences, your need to stop and watch a sunset – they are your tribe.

Respect is the truest bond. When we meet others who ride not to compete but to connect, the world feels less divided. We become more human, more humble, more alive.

6. The Praise of Life

"Make men praise life so that no one needs to feel the shame that lives in a heart that has wronged."

To praise life is to live awake. The road is full of mirrors – lakes, chrome, puddles after rain. And sometimes, it shows us things we’d rather not see: our mistakes, our missed chances, our small betrayals.

But shame doesn’t travel well. It weighs too much. So we learn to let go, forgive, and keep praising life – not because it’s perfect, but because it’s still ours to live.

The bear in Chief Dan George’s prayer symbolizes dignity. To live with dignity is to walk, or ride, knowing we’ve tried to do right by the road, by others, by ourselves.

When we praise life, we protect wilderness – both outside and within.

7. When the Sun Travels the Sky

"Then my wild brother, the bear, will always have a wilderness, as long as the sun travels the sky."

That line always moves me. Because it reminds me that wilderness isn’t just geography. It’s a state of spirit. We all need a place where the rules fade and instinct returns. Where silence speaks louder than news feeds. Where the sun and wind decide your schedule.

For some, that’s a forest. For me, it’s the open road.

As long as there’s sun, wind, and motion, there will be wilderness in us. The prayer ends there, but the road doesn’t.

5-Point Action Plan: Living the Prayer

Sometimes, a prayer only becomes real when you live it. Here’s how I try to bring Chief Dan George’s wisdom to the road – and life.

1. Remember Warmth. Carry the moonlight of kindness with you. Every person you meet is someone’s child.

2. Taste Sweetness. Slow down. Eat the berries of life – laughter, good food, shared stories.

3. Stay Light. Let go of grudges. Like wildflowers, grow where you are.

4. Ride Strong. Keep your body fit and your spirit free. Strength and swiftness keep freedom alive.

5. Respect the Path. Travel with those who honor the road, nature, and each other. Protect the wilderness, inside and out.

Each ride is a chance to live the prayer – not just for the bear, but for every being sharing the journey.

Closing Thoughts

When I read the prayer now, I hear engines and rivers, laughter and silence. The bear is no longer just a symbol of wilderness. He is every traveler who seeks balance between strength and gentleness.

So to every rider I meet - may your road be kind, your heart be light, and your spirit untamed. Ride with respect, live with freedom, and always praise life.

Fred, Jessi & iFred - on the Road for You

On the road, living free and sharing our adventures. Fred rides, Jessi carries, and iFred connects the stories. This time, our journey taught us about respect, freedom, and the wild bond between all travelers, powered by the freedom from My Easy Side Business.

And always keep in mind where to find the right supplements and residual income!