Autumn came this week on the calendar, agreeing with what the great outdoors has been saying for awhile. Evening chores have been so Maxfield Parrish; ethereal colors with a sweetness in the air, and a near-full moon over my prairie. The horses are changing coats for winter. A skunk has moved in by the pond- no good will come of that. On the other hand, there are caterpillars everywhere!
I simultaneously love and hate change -but good or bad, at least change is stressful. Horses and humans agree about that.
Days grow shorter and I worry for my old horse; he had a hard summer and isn’t going into winter as strong as I would hope. He lays down more often now. Some Indian summer would be a special mercy for him, (and the old llama, and the old dog.)
My barn is changing with the seasons, too. An old friend is leaving and we are greeting new friends. Goals are being negotiated between horses and riders as the summer ends. Preparations for surviving the demands of winter are on every mind. And come spring, we will welcome a new life to our barn family.
We ponder our horses; if we ride a young horse we pray for maturity that comes with the passing of time, and if we ride a mature horse we try to slow the aging process with supplements and denial. We feel the same way about our horse family as we do our human family; always aware that life is fragile and our time together is precious.
I notice its easier accepting change with a spring breeze. Change feels a bit darker in autumn as the natural world prepares for a time of hibernation and reflection. Bittersweet is the perfect word for this bi-polar time of year. Here is a bittersweet quote:
“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” — Marilyn Monroe
Life is a circle: Release. Breathe. Forward!
Anna Blake, www.AnnaBlakeTraining.com
(Photo: Sunset with Spirit and Sumo.)
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