Thanks for the Ride!

Today it’s pretty quiet in the barn. Around the farm … it’s almost as if the rest of the farm knows … knows something isn’t quite the same …. Today. I take the time to clean his stall one last time. Remove his name from the feed board. Hang his halter once again on the tack room wall…. I am taken back over the years. 

As I walked into the barn there was no extra nicker. There was an empty stall where one of the finest horses I’d ever got to ride. Was empty. 

"A great horse will change your life. The truly special ones define it..." - Author Unknown

I wasn’t ready for the wave of tears that hit. That as I sat letting out my emotions and feelings of hurt and sadness. Roll right on out. I held it in yesterday. The kids took the loss of Scooter hard. Keaton was the last to ride him. Jae was the last to pat his nose. I was the last who lead him out. And it hurts. 

Loss of no matter what it is. Is hard. Loss of an animal (even when we know it will come). The loss of a job - of a harvest - of an individual. Is hard. It’s hard to put into words how much this horse meant to us. 

He carried Jason all over the mid west. He became my saving Grace with Jaelyn when she wouldn’t sleep at all hours. I’d come down and ride her to sleep. He taught Keaton the love of a horse. He was so much more than the average bay. 

The barn is quiet. As if The others know. Know we lost one of the good ones. 

And as I prayed with the kids. As I talked about God and that Earth is not our forever home. That Heaven is the Place we want to go. Of open pastures - fields miles long to run with god. I am reminding in a moment of loss and heart break. Our God never leaves us. Even when we leave him. He always welcomes us back. Today I am so thankful for the lessons learned - the tears & joys that Scooter has brought us over the years. And just like many horses before him. There won’t be another quite like him. 

Today. I will not take life for granted. I will be thankful for all things. Good or Bad. The moments we are given - will be cherished. Never forgotten. 

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