Late Night Carrots

Sometimes events happen that remind me how important it is to live in the moment. The kind of events that make me remember that life is temporary and uncertain. This evening I learned that one of my favorite riding buddies, young, healthy horse passed away today. The horse was a super mare that carried her on many wonderful rides through mountains, down roads and through grassy meadows. This loss is shocking, unexplained and just plain unfair and unforeseen. It reminds me of just how important it is to really enjoy the things in our lives that make us happy. It is easy to get in a routine where we go through the motions of caring for people and animals in our lives without recognizing how special each moment with them is. We describe feeding our horse as a chore rather than a pleasure. There are many days where I am guilty of this lack of appreciation and awareness. This evenings events reminded me of how incredibly fortunate I have am to enjoy the company of my wonderful horse, companion, and friend for the past 16 years. It reminded me not to take him or an of my animal or human friends and family for granted. And so, late at night I went out in the rain and brushed my horse and donkey and fed them carrots. I cuddled with my dogs and reflected on just how blessed I am; right now, right here.