It's Deja Vu -- All Over Again...

With a nod to Yogi Berra as I love that quote....

It was a not so welcome reminder of the past when my equine coach, River, was a little "off" as she trotted in the round pen last weekend.  A worried call to the vet and a vet visit later in the day confirmed my fears -- River had a flare-up of laminitis.  Laminitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue, the lamina, between the hoof and the bone in the hoof, the coffin or pedal bone.  The inflammation chokes the blood supply in the hoof and the forces on the bone can cause it to rotate.  In extreme cases, the bone can actually punch through the bottom of the hoof.  River has at least two acute cases of laminitis previously.  Her recovery from the last bout was amazing; but like any chronic condition, it can rear its ugly head.  And so, here we were again.

River was put on anti-inflammatories and I began the daily process of soaking her feet in ice water to bring down the inflammation.  River took it all stoically.  I am pleased that a subsequent vet visit this weekend showed that she was greatly improved -- so much so that she is allowed to do some light groundwork exercise and have her anti-inflammatories reduced.

River was not giving strong signals that something was wrong.  It was only through observation that I knew that she was in pain.  It's the same with us humans.  It may not be evident that someone is hurting, whether it be physically or emotionally.  A person may show it in other ways besides showing pain or sharing that they are in pain.  They may become terse or angry or withdrawn.  For those we deal with daily, it may be a process of careful observation to determine they are hurting.  For those we deal with in passing, we may never know, but should give the benefit of the doubt.  Every person is usually dealing with some type of pain or difficulty in their lives.  Once we determine  someone is in pain, then we can reach out to help them.  Like River, once the pain is identified, the process to resolve the pain and recovery can then begin.

Not Horse Related -- But A Great Story of People Pulling Together...

The closest I can relate this to a horse story is that takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, the home of the Kentucky Derby -- this story is truly human in all respects.

After a brief visit to Louisville to celebrate the graduation of my oldest nephew, my family and I arrived at the Louisville airport and settled in at the departure gate for a direct flight to Orlando.  About an hour before the flight, it was announced that the plane had mechanical issues and was delayed for five hours.  Now, being that the plane was heading to Orlando -- home of Disney World and other favorite family destinations -- there were lots of families with small children.  None of the families were looking forward to a five-hour delay with tired and bored little ones.

One man came to the rescue.  I can only believe that this gentlemen performs as a professional magician or clown, as he pulled out a load of balloons and a pump and started making balloon swords and balloon animals.  Soon, the whole departure gate erupted in a joyful free-for-all of children playing together with balloon swords and balloon animals.  People who did not know each other were laughing and talking with one another, enjoying the ensuing melee.  The gentleman was even willing to teach other adults how to make these special balloon shapes.  After a while, all the kids happily settled down.  Some napped while others watched videos.  All in all a quiet, albeit long wait.

The plane left close to six hours late, but the tone set by this wonderful gentleman set the tone for the rest of the wait and the uneventful flight down to Orlando.  Truly evidence that one person's actions can make a huge difference.

To Thine Own Self Be True....

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~ Dr. Seuss  

 

The essence of Dr. Seuss' quote is really profound, particularly the "Be who you are...".   Being true to ourselves and our values can sometimes be really hard to do in our world today.   For my equine partner, River, what you see is what you get.  If she's happy or sad, angry or in pain, it is very evident.  Her relationships with other horses and with the humans she associates with are based on open communication.  There is no hiding what is important to her or how she feels.  Indeed, to survive and thrive as a horse, a horse has to be true to themselves.  By doing that, it defines the horse's hierarchy in the herd and the overall hardiness of the herd.

 

We humans, though, well -- it's more complicated.  Societal expectations, peer expectations, family expectations often force us for expedience to deviate from being who we are.  And that ultimately takes its toll.  There is stress in trying to be or live to what we are not or with values that are not in alignment with our own.

 

The move to be more authentic to ourselves and who we are carries it share of risk, such as the risk of  moving away from activities or friendships.  Ultimately, though, being true to yourself allows you to reap the benefits of living in alignment with your values, allowing you to develop relationships with those who  support you for being you and engage in activities that support and nurture your values.

 

It's not easy and it can't happen overnight -- but it can be done.

 

Here's to you being you! 

Do the Right Thing...

"Have the courage to say no.  Have the courage to face the truth.  Do the right thing because is is right.  These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity."  ~ W.C. Clement Stone

After some emotional upheavals this week, I have had a chance to ponder about the ramifications of actions -- particularly that action known as "doing the right thing".   While there are some universal standards about what "the right thing" is, sometimes "the right thing" can be subjective..  What is the "right thing" to one person, may not be to another in circumstances where there is not necessarily a straightforward answer.  

I have done what I thought was "the right thing" and been burned and hurt at the time, and much later (a year or more) come to find out that "the right thing" was truly the right thing.  Sometimes the ramifications of our actions are not apparent at the time, but only much later.

Every day gives us opportunities to do "the right thing".  And the right thing is not always easy.  It can be emotionally painful or physically uncomfortable.  It may test relationships.  However, in order to live with integrity, we must always try to do what we think is right.  We are all human.  Our actions may not be the solution to the problem, but it is an honest opportunity to make our little area of the world a better place, while living in harmony with our values.

So, be courageous. Do the right thing.

What The World Needs.....

The last week of April, my family (including two dogs -- but not River!) traveled via car to Kentucky to visit my family.  Long car rides, especially when you are not the driver, offer great opportunities for observation and introspection.  In addition to enjoying the varying terrain on the 14+ hour one-way drive, there was an opportunity to observe and interact with a lot of people along the way.

One of the things I noticed throughout the trip, both from personal interaction and from observation -- with driving habits being a leading indicator -- is the absence of courtesy and kindness on the part of a large number of folks.  People are in a hurry, distracted, stressed, and focused on getting "there" (wherever "there" happens to be). I observed drivers in a hurry to the point of driving recklessly; interactions between customers and shop employees that didn't involve eye contact or even a word; and folks that rushed past not mindful of any person or object in their path.

Seeing all this, I made the extra effort to be courteous, especially to those working in stores.  The people I talked to seemed to really appreciate the chance to actually talk and not just be looked at as an impediment to checking the next box off of someone's endless "to do" list.  And these opportunities gave me equal appreciation to connect with another person.

Of course this lack of courtesy, while prevalent, did not reflect all my experiences.  I had the most pleasant time as a woman brought her six month old over to our car at a rest stop to look in the window at our two dogs.  Her grandson had never seen a dog. I brought one of our dogs out the car to meet the woman and her grandson.  We had a chance to share child rearing stories with each other and this little boy had his first chance to meet a dog.  I left the rest stop feeling so good.

What a small effort it takes to acknowledge a person -- to smile, to say "hi", to say "thank you".  And those small actions not make other people feel better, it makes us feel better.  It also makes this world a kinder, better place to live in.

This week, take a small step to making this world a kinder place -- be kind and considerate to others.

Miracles All Around Us

It's not that unusual
When everything is beautiful
It's just another
Ordinary miracle today

The sky knows when it's time to snow
Don't need to teach a seed to grow
It's just another
Ordinary miracle today

Life is like a gift, they say
Wrapped up for you everyday
Open up, and find a way
To give some of your own

Isn't it remarkable?
Like everytime a raindrop falls
It's just another
Ordinary miracle today

The birds in winter have their fling
And always make it home by spring
It's just another
Ordinary miracle today

When you wake up everyday
Please don't throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
'Cause we are all a part
Of the ordinary miracle

Ordinary miracle
Do you want to see a miracle

It seems so exceptional
That things work out after all
It's just another
Ordinary miracle today

The sun comes out and shines so bright
And disappears again at night
It's just another
Ordinary miracle today

It's just another
Ordinary miracle today 

Lyrics to Ordinary Miracle by Sarah McLachlan

Being "of a certain age", it seems like I have personally experienced or know of others dealing with illnesses or deaths of family members or friends with increasing frequency; so, it was with great joy that I was able to experience the initial hours of a new life on this earth this past week.

A week ago, I parked my car at the barn and immediately noticed that one of the mares in the pasture had a baby in tow!  The little filly was only about an hour old.  She was gangly -- all legs, but already walking around and hanging close to Mom.  All the horses in the adjacent pastures were watching the mare and her new little one with rapt attention.  River was calling out to the both of them, with either longing or encouragement.

Baby was soon tired and she curled up in the grass. Mom, tired from all the exertion of giving birth, laid down next to her baby.  A few of us who were watching this amazing sight sat down next to Mom and baby, both of whom willingly accepted our gentle stroking.  It was a peaceful, humbling, and as well as truly magical experience.  Several days later, a new little one was born.  And as I write this, a good friend is awaiting the birth of another foal or filly any day now.

With so much that seems wrong in our lives or in the world today, it is moments like the time spent watching the new little filly which truly emphasize the miracles both ordinary and extraordinary and  that we experience daily - we just need to stop and recognize them!

Resilience and Perseverence

These past couple of weeks have been extremely difficult as I have seen several friends going through enormously difficult situations -- situations that completely tear away at the carefully structured framework and plans for a life,  forcing a complete re-evaluation of what is true and not true, what is really important and necessary, and what defines the future.

These life altering events can happen incrementally (e.g. a degenerative disease) or it can happen in the blink of an eye (e.g. a car accident), but these events can rattle a person to the very essence of their being -- calling into question core beliefs and shattering self-confidence.

Within in each one of us, though, is a spark -- a spark of hope that continues to keep the essence of who we are and what we stand for alive through the darkest hour.  Resilience is the ability to nurture that spark into a roaring flame, to overcome the adversity and not only live through it, but triumph over it to become even stronger than before.

And through these situations, having a support system is key. Those that use that support system are those that can weather the storm.  Often overlooked members of that support system are our animals, who have the innate ability to know what is wrong and what to give us when we need it most.

For all those going through great adversity, my wish for each of you is hope and the ability to persevere.  Develop your support system (human and animal) and use it in order to triumph over life's curveballs.