Who is to Say?

Historically, Thanksgiving was a time for people to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Today, we buy our turkeys and produce at the grocery store and start cooking all those casseroles and pies a day early in preparation for all that family drama.

But somewhere in the midst of cooking and laughing and eating and arguing, there's a moment when we stop and actually wonder what we are thankful for.

This particular Thanksgiving, I happen to have several friends who are going through rough times. It's hard, when your heart is breaking or you're filing for bankruptcy or you're burying a loved one, to hold up a glass of wine and toast to all the things you are thankful for. Sometimes it even seems as though there were nothing in our lives worth the effort to give thanks.

I saw Natalie at the ranch this morning. She was coming to spend time with her horse, Pippin. She was the only one out there except for me. I thought, "That's so wonderful. She wants to spend Thanksgiving morning with her horse." I have no doubt that Pippin is thankful to have Natalie is his life.

Seeing Natalie made me recall a conversation I had with her mother, Teri, just the day before, when we were talking about change.

"There's a Tibetan tale," I told Teri, "that I love."

There's this boy, Yeshi. He wakes up one morning to find that the family's horse is missing. He and his father search all day to no avail. When night falls, Yeshi exclaims in tears, "What bad luck!!"

The father says, "Who can say what is good fortune or bad? Give thanks for everything."

Several days go by and Yeshi finds that his horse has returned and has brought with him another horse.

"This is good fortune!" Says Yeshi.

Of course his father says the same thing. "Who can say if this is good fortune or bad?"

The next week, Yeshi gets bucked off the new horse and breaks his leg.

"Our new horse was bad luck after all," moans Yeshi.

Yeshi's father says, "I'm sorry to see you hurt, but who can say what is good or bad? We have to wait and see."

The next day the King's men come to take all able men with them into battle. Of course Yeshi can't go because of his broken leg.

Even then, the father still says "Who can say if this is good fortune or bad? Give thanks for everything."

And so I propose to you that even in our darkest hour, we cannot know what the future holds for us. Our best bet is to reserve judgement. Be thankful for everything, even if it seems that something horrible has happened.

You never know where your choices will lead you. You never know when something that looks bad will turn out to be something good.

And you never know when a simple "Thank You" is all you need to make someone smile.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May your cup runneth over.

Lost and Found

I went on a trail ride yesterday with Wendy and Cher. It was my first time back on a horse since Naysa rodeo-bucked me off and I broke my wrist. Oh, my word, it felt WONDERFUL. I didn't realize how much I had missed riding.

Wendy let me ride her horse Topacio. (I'm doing groundwork with Adonis and would like to build a stronger relationship with him before I ride him again.)

When Wendy offered me Topacio, my only concern was whether he was an easy ride or not. I still can't do a lot of pulling because of my wrist. I would not be able to ride any of Leslie's horses right now, like Barney whose idea of a half-halt is what I think of as a full-blown, yanking back, HOLY CRAP HALT. If you try to ride Barney with the reins at the buckle, he thinks you're giving him full license to gallop away like he's just been released from the starting gate at Belmont.

"Oh, Topacio's wonderful," said Wendy. "He'll be really easy with you."

After we were all tacked up and ready to head out, Wendy said, "He sometimes tries to ride out from under you a bit. I wouldn't touch him with your leg for at least the first thirty minutes."

I almost laughed out loud. What I said was, "We'll be fine."

"And make sure to talk to him if we come across a bike rider on the trail. He won't take off with you, but sometimes he'll do a 360."

"He spins?" I asked.

"Yeah, he spins."

"Okay, then."

I admit I hesitated for a moment. And I usually don't hesitate when horses are involved.

I looked at my wrist, which was still in a brace. Then I asked myself, "Am I really up for this?"

I began to wonder if I should have taken Adonis. I knew what to expect from Adonis. For the first time it occurred to me that I was about to hop on a horse I didn't know, a horse I had never ridden.

But I trusted Wendy.

"We'll be fine," I said again and just hoped that it was true.

Of course, Topacio was WONDERFUL. No spinning, no spooking, no slapping me up against trees (well, except at the end, but that was my fault for not ducking!)

Thank you SO MUCH, Wendy!

Topacio was okay with everyone out on the trail except for the guy with the sharp hedge clippers. I could feel him tense up under me, but I didn't blame him. The guy was creepy. If Topacio had taken off at that moment, I would have added leg to suggest we get out of there faster.

Anyone looking a bit too happy while holding up an open pair of long clipper blades makes my creepy list. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if the abandoned ax we found had belonged to creepy clipper guy. Might have been his last murder weapon.

"You watch too many forensic TV shows," said Wendy.

It's true. I love that stuff.

But really, how exactly do you LOSE an AX?

"I have a lost story that will top any lost story," said Cher.

Cher and her husband were cleaning fish at Cher's mom's house. Cher was flinging sticky guts off her hands when her wedding ring slipped off her finger and flew into the air. No one saw it fall. They looked everywhere, but no one could find the ring.

Three years go by.

Cher is hanging laundry on her mom's clothesline, and she sees something on top of one of the clothespins sparkle. Lo and behold, it's her wedding ring hanging there from the top of a clothespin.

I know. Wow, right?

I created Forever Sky Ranch because I loved working with horses, especially my rescue horses. And I wanted the best of everything for my 4-legged babies. I used to wake up each morning with excitement bubbling over.

Somehow over the years, with fences to build and waterers to fix, with pastures to plant and fertilizer to spread, with this and that and the other and this and that again, I lost sight of my purpose, my reason for doing all of it. I sacrificed time with my horses to make the ranch work. I sacrificed too much time.

Now, having had 6 weeks of forced vacation, it's as if someone has turned on the defrost in my brain.

I finally realize that while my lovely ranch and my FSR family are as close to my heart as they can get, time with my horses has to be a priority. Each day that goes by that I don't get to spend time with my babies, something inside me wilts.

So from now on, when you head out to the ranch, yes, you'll still see me on the tractor or holding a drill or picking up manure, but just as often, you will also see me in the pasture with my orange carrot stick or you'll see me grooming or riding or simply hanging out with one of my horses while they graze. You might even see me in the round pen standing over a pile of hay. (For that to make sense, you have to read Naked Liberty by Carolyn Resnick or just ask Mirka about the waterhole rituals. Awesome stuff.)

Point is, I finally remember why there's a Forever Sky Ranch. It's not because of horse shows or blue ribbons or competitions or anything of the sort. It's because there was once a girl who was a dreamer, a girl who thought hanging out in the pasture and watching the interaction of the herd was a good way to spend the day, a girl who wanted nothing more than to ride bareback and bridleless across an open field without a care in the world, a girl who thought connection with a horse meant more than leg aids and rein contact. A girl who wanted to share her joy of horses with the world.

Yes. I finally remember. And thanks to a broken wrist, an inspiring trainer, an awesome trail ride with friends, and a story about a lost ring, that girl...well...she's BACK.