Having grown up on a farm, I understand the love, dedication and care it takes to keep it all running. It is not an easy life. The day to day business will consume you with financial stress, long days, broken equipment, and it will leave you with little to no time for much else.
But there's also another part..
There is the beauty found in sunrises and sunsets. The smell of the ground after a rain. The wind blowing through the trees during the hot days of summer. The rolling dark clouds and the stillness before a thunderstorm. The smell of honeysuckle on the vine and the crops during harvest season. And the feeling that at the end of the day...tired and washed in sweat and dirt, that you've done your best for this little bit of creation you've been tasked with caring for.
If you're on the farm long enough, there will also come a time when you have to let go of a friend who has become a member of the family. And so it was this week at Barnabas Horse Foundation.
As I drove in, I could already sense the farm had changed. And as we walked over to pay respects to Red Belle, you could feel her presence missing from among the herd. Everything feels quietly out of sync. Her loss profound...
In time, the hearts of the horses will find their way back to each other and beat as one. They will look to the staff and volunteers of Barnabas for guidance and comfort. Memories will be shared among those who cared for her and by those clients she gently nurtured into finding their own happiness and renewed sense of life. This will be her greatest story and a true testament that even during loss, you can find life...
~Parker
Thank you Parker. She was a part of my life for 10 years. It was only in the last 2-3 years that she became accepting of being loved and learned how to love in return. Like many of the people who come to Barnabas, we take the time it takes. Healing can’t be rushed. One day at a time….♥️
That was beautifully said!