From Belle: “Sometimes we find ourselves in places in life we never expected to be. I once was a part of a herd of four horses. We lived together for 20 years and were a solid unit. Over the past 5 years, one by one my friends have passed into spirit and I am now the last one. There was a time that I’d have not known how to survive by myself. But I am old and my body has its own frailties now. Yet, I understand now why I needed to stay. I spent my life being steadfast on doing things my way and only on my terms. The humans listened to me when I said I needed space to just be, and they let me be. It was the greatest gift they could have offered to me and I will forever be grateful for this life I have lived as a horse where I could be free of being harnessed into someone that I was not. I had no interest in being dominated by a human. Partnership was not something I was seeking. I only wanted freedom. I came in to this life with a hunger to be free. And I was allowed to find that here. Many have thought I had a wasted life and that the people around me should have done things differently. But those people do not understand the free spirit that I am. I didn’t want human companionship because that meant that I’d have to live the way they thought fit for me. Instead, I taught them about the freedom of the horse. Being alone now, and with physical issues that I need help with, I now need to look to humans for help. And this has been a valuable lesson for me. I have learned to allow others to care for me and entrust to them my dignity and freedom. It will be a gift I take with me on my journey beyond this lifetime. In turn, I gave a gift to them to trust what they hear from the animals. I lived my life exactly the way I wanted to. They couldn’t or shouldn’t have done anything different. For those who have judged the people who truly heard me hurts my heart. I will forever owe my human caretakers of the last 30 years a debt of gratitude. They provided for me the exact life I came to have.”
Each day through December 31, as has been our annual tradition now for many years, we will share with you a message from one of the animals of Spring Farm CARES. We hope this will provide you with a bit of inspiration for your day.