From Woodward: “What I have found to be the most amazing thing in my life is learning to trust. I am blessed with people who were really patient with me. I was born wild. And then when I was still very young, I got attacked by an animal that almost killed me. I fought back hard but was badly injured. I was in so much pain. When people found me, they tried to help but I fought them because I was scared. Eventually I ended up here at the farm and they helped me to heal. With all of this, I started to watch other cats around me who were friendly with humans. They seemed really happy. I was so scared. But I decided to give it a try. Learning to trust was a big effort and it has changed my entire life. I still need people to move slowly at first. But I am so proud of myself when I purr and purr while they pet me. Sometimes we just need to take risks on things that at first seem scary. It was a blessing in my life and I am grateful.”

From Luna: “Being a goat is an exquisite honor. There is an art to being a goat. One needs to always be mindful of two things – joy and joyfulness. A goat needs to embody the state of joy. And in doing the duties of a goat, one needs to spread joyfulness to others. It is great to make humans laugh or smile. Being a goat lends itself nicely to that. I love being agile. I love being able to intimidate people when I want to (for sport of course), and I love to get humans to play. I also like the gift of being able to bat my eyes and have humans swarm to bring me treats. But most of all, I am grateful for the humans who care for me. They have worked hard to make my life a good one and I am deeply appreciative of that. I do want them to know that. Even the ones who I tease and chase – I am grateful for all they do. And, I’m grateful to all of you who are listening to the thoughts from a cute little goat like me. I hope you have a good day!”

 

 

From Noah: “I am a donkey who likes to take things slowly. That doesn’t mean I’m stubborn, but I just don’t like to rush through life. I choose to savor moments. Life is precious. I’ve lost many friends along the way. I see humans rushing through their day and not even really appreciating things. Sometimes you need to allow yourself a moment to smile. Watch the sun reflecting on the trees and the pretty pattern it makes on the wall. Feel comfort in the warmth of a snuggle with your favorite animal. Allow yourselves to smile – it is one of my favorite traits in humans. Smile. Be human. Appreciate the simple things. That is what I do and I’m grateful to be a donkey. “

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Hermey: “I’m not always clear about bigger thoughts in life. It’s not that I don’t have higher thoughts. But sometimes I notice that humans, for example, think too much. Sometimes they miss the simplest of things because they are making things more complicated than they need to be. I see people around me make really interesting choices. It’s almost as if you humans look to see what the most difficult path for yourself is and then run right out there to tackle that path. You need to look around you more. Be curious about things. And don’t just take someone else’s word for things. You are really smart creatures. But sometimes you forget to think for yourselves. And I say all of this lovingly. I watch you all operate in the world under high stress when you could remember to stop and purr a little and breathe a lot. You’d be so much happier.”

 

 

From Mia: “I am so grateful to answer this. My friend Waylon and I came here together after enduring a very rough time where we once were. I knew Waylon was close to dying and we had to get him out somehow. We were so relieved to end up coming here. You saved our lives. I am forever grateful for that. I am sad to say that we were only here two winters when suddenly Waylon got really sick. I could tell it was not good. He had come so far and looked great. We were happy grazing together and knowing we were safe. But something gave out in his body and he died. I miss my friend. I am grateful to have had him with me. I would say to look around you and be grateful for those you love. And let them know you love them. That would mean a lot to me and would be a great way to honor Waylon.”

 

 

 

 

From Merlin: “I am most grateful for the joy and help I receive from my human friends. I have lost my eyesight now. I am old. I am stiff. I have to live my life a little slower and smaller than I once did. But, and this is so important, I may look different to you, but I am still me inside. And I am happy. People hear I am blind and pity me. I do not want pity. I want to spread joy. I make wonderful sounds and mimic all sorts of things. I work hard at this. Why? Because it makes people laugh. I can say ‘Hello!’ And someone will answer me back. I’ve even trained them to whistle back to me. I have continual connection with all sorts of people. I don’t have to see them. I can feel them. And I want them to feel me. I am not sad. I am not living in the dark. If you feel that for me, than you are seeing your own fear and not mine. I’m just a little slower and take life at a different pace than I used to. There is a certain peace in that actually. I send you wishes to find peace inside your own selves. Yes, that is what I want for the humans around me. I want them to find their own peace.”

From Lucy: “Some people think I am a bossy cat. But that is not really the truth. Ok, I can be opinionated for sure.Maybe even a little pushy at times. I’ll give you that. But I am never ill-intentioned. What I have noticed with people is that sometimes they need a little guidance. Sometimes they need to be herded along to where they should be. They get lost in their heads and forget about how to live from their hearts. So I feel I am a bit of a guide. And if they are not listening then I have to get their attention. And sometimes I have to be a little forceful with that. But what I am most grateful for is being allowed to be who I am without judgement. And when I feel appreciated for being myself, it feels really good. Take time each day to appreciate someone or something in your life. And then let them know. It can change someone’s day to feel appreciated. Thank you!”

From Mary Beth: “I answer this every year because I have so much to be grateful for in my life. The fact that I am alive is a miracle and I am thankful for each minute I get to spend. I also do not spend my life worrying about when the last moment will be. To be loved and part of a great family of animals and humans is the best. To have people come see me and want to touch me out of love and respect and not out of pity always makes my day. So I indeed am very thankful. But this year, I want to do something in addition. You may look at me and be filled with joy and wonder that I am grateful for things. Some of you even help support me and I am grateful for that too. But, let’s turn this around. Because I want to know what you are grateful for? And if you are having a hard time right now, I still want to hear from you. Because no matter how tough things are or ever will be, we can choose one small thing to focus on that we are grateful for. So let’s hear from you. Make this donkey proud. Give me a reply. The other animals will be envious! The humans will let me know. Come on now, just one thing you are grateful for right now in this moment. If I can do it, so can you.

From Nala: “I know you expect me to say something deep here. But truly, I am grateful for food. I love food. I love finding food that people don’t think I can get. I guess that is technically stealing but I just look at it as being on a big scavenger hunt and winning a great prize. The humans don’t buy that though. Let’s face it, cats like to hunt. We were born hunters. So sometimes, I just go on a little expedition to see what might be lurking around. A tasty morsel here and there is a good find. I also am grateful when people just give me my own space. I am understood here. And I am so grateful for that. It is glorious to be appreciated. Even if I do grab things I shouldn’t every once in a while.”

From Brandy:  “I am grateful for the human hearts who let me touch them. I have met people with very heavy hearts. And I love to give them a place to rest inside of my heart. To watch someone heal a part of themselves simply by letting them see and feel my heart, is an honor for which I will never grow tired. I love when people who have never touched a horse before come over to me and with great timidity they reach out and touch my nose. I see the delight on their faces when they feel how soft it feels. And when they feel my breath on their skin they feel calm. I love watching that. I never tire of letting someone new experience being with me. This farm is peace. I rest my heart within the energy of this farm. I have had a long journey. It was not always pleasant. But to know I have reached the place I can just be me without worrying about what will happen to me, is pure joy. And I love to share that joy as a gift I can give to others. If you want to meet a horse, you can come find me. I’ll share my heart with yours and you may even feel better for it afterwards.”

From Yeti: “I was given the gift of being born into a really cute body. For some, that would be enough. But the problem with being cute is that no one looks at me past that. I am actually a very interesting bunny. People keep telling me I look like I’m not real. But the thing is I am real. And if you’d get to know me, you’d actually see that I’m really interesting. I like to be curious about life. The more questions I can ask about things in life, the more surprised and delighted I am to be alive. So, humans, I challenge you to get more curious.”

 

 

 

 

From Leo: “Hello, it’s me Leo. Some of you may remember me and some of you may not. But that is your choice of course. I’ve been doing this every year since I was but a baby. I ask every year if I can give a message. But this year I want to tell you why I feel this is so important. Not everyone learns to listen to animals let alone think that we can have big feelings and dreams like you do. We are just in different looking bodies. But we have hearts and souls just like you do. I always find it interesting why Dawn comes and asks us what we are most grateful for. We animals are grateful by nature. The real question is what you humans are most grateful for. I think you tend to forget or ignore the most amazing things around you. You focus on what you think you are missing or don’t have and then you mull that over and over again. Every single one of you is as blessed as we are. Find something to be grateful for today and focus on it. It can be the sun. Grass. A tree. Your family. A friend. But just know, there is always something out there for you. That is what I have for this year.”

From Olivia: “I think I am an interesting subject for your gratitude project. People look at me and always see the one thing I am missing instead of seeing me for all I have. Just because I am missing a leg, doesn’t make me less than whole. I do not spend my life focused on what I’m missing. Instead, I choose to be grateful for all I have. And there is so much that I have in life. I have a family. I have a place I am loved. I am respected as an elder in the cat clan that I manage. Not one of these cats in here sees me as deficient in any way. No one pities me. No one makes fun of me. And no one judges me. I’d say that humans could learn a lot from my life. If I could offer advice to you it would be this. Don’t waste your time focused on beating yourself up for what you don’t have or what you perceive to be your shortcomings. Because all of you are beautiful beings who should never be labeled by what you are lacking. You should only be valued for the wonderful person that you are. Gratitude starts as a seed within each one of us. Let that seed grow.”

From Charlie:  “Being a pony is a privilege only bestowed upon the most noble of animals. It takes a certain kind of delightful mixture to be a pony. It is not for the faint of heart. You have to meet certain criteria. And I am grateful to check all of the boxes! One has to be cute with a side helping of charming. One has to be masterful at knowing when to use that charm and cuteness to get your way. One also has to have a fair degree of spunk. It shows great character and steadfastness. One has to know how to fit your big size soul into a tiny body and be prepared that people will not see your large size inside of that pony body. In fact, you may be the only one who sees or understands that. And, sadly, as a pony, one has to be resilient. Because you will get moved around a lot. You will be important to little people. But little people grow up and then outgrow you. It’s tough being a cute pony. People tend to forget who you are. And while you seem to be ever so popular at times, you will also need to be prepared to feel ever so lonely. I am most grateful because I spent a lot of lonely and misunderstood years. But I have landed in a most delightful place. A place where I’m treasured for being cute and for being just a touch naughty. And I am loved for all of it. For this, I will forever be grateful!”

From Sylvester: “There is so much that I am grateful for. But there is something more that I’d like to share. Because I feel there a lot of humans who are not taking time out of each and every day to flow gratitude. That is a choice everyone can make. I see a lot of humans who just want things their own way and have not learned the fine art of helping one another by supporting one another instead of tearing each other down in order to get to the top of the pile. You see, we animals don’t do that here. We may not all get along. We may not all like each other even. But we honor the existence of the others with dignity and respect. I’d be even more grateful in life if people could at least try to do that.”

 

 

From Felix: “I am grateful for everything around me. I’m thankful to have my buddy Leo – even though he is a bit bossy at times. This year in our barn, we are very grateful to still have our friend Ginny with us. She got very sick suddenly and had to be rushed to a big hospital. We were so relieved to see her come back a week later. She is our leader. She is very grounded and peaceful. So this year, I am most grateful that she is ok and is back here with us. Our family is very tight with one another. We stick together even though we are all so different. Nobody is as different as the sheep. I think they are strange. But we love them too. And, I am also grateful for food. I never stop being grateful for that. And I’m truly blessed to have people to love and be loved by. My favorite thing from my human family is to give and receive their hugs. There is just so much to be grateful for in life.”

From Mary:  “It’s not easy being the cutest sheep in the flock! That was meant as a little sheep humor but I truly am grateful for this wonderful body that I am in. I love being alive. I love the sun on my body when I’m out grazing with my friends on a nice day. I love being with my other sheep friends. I love hearing birds singing. And I really enjoy watching butterflies. I find them so magical. There is so much to be grateful for in life. My heart fills with the beauty and wonder of nature. And I love feeling so close to the Earth. On really quiet winter days, when the conditions are just right, I swear I hear the heartbeat of the Earth. If you humans could learn to be more quiet, I bet you could hear and feel that too. It is magnificent and deeply loving. It is good to feel our connection to the Earth. She is our mother and it is good to feel her love. I am most grateful for all of that.”

From Lorinda:  “People sometimes mistakingly think that I have trouble getting around. That is a misperception just because I get around differently than most other cats. But for me, my normal is just fine. This is who I am. Life is actually very good for me. For a while in my life, I lived out on the streets. That was not much fun. I’m just not the type to have to fend off more senior cats to get my share of the food. I didn’t like that part of my life. But what I have found now is really a life that suits me well. I never take for granted a bowl of food or a loving touch. I love to share my gratitude and joy with others as well. Even the smallest act of kindness is cherished. I think the more kindness we can share, the more we all benefit. Let’s all focus on being kind today… and every day!”

From Ginny: “I answer this question each year and am always grateful to be asked. But this year, I have even more reason to be grateful. I am literally grateful to be alive. You see, earlier this year I had a bad thing happen in my intestines and I almost died. I had to go to a big clinic and have a very large surgery. It was really scary but everyone took good care of me. Here I am now, all back to normal again. Although things feel good again, I actually will never be back to how I was. Because although I was always happy and grateful to be here, when I suddenly saw how close I came to not being here anymore, it made coming home even more special. I savor every day here at this farm. I love it all. So I can honestly say, thanks to many humans who made it all possible, that I am alive today because of all the help I received. I am eternally grateful!”

From Cumin:  “I may seem little but being a guinea pig is a big job. We have a lot of wisdom to share with the world. Often, we are around children and that gives us an opportunity to impart the seeds of kindness and compassion and joy into their lives. It is hard to be sad around a guinea pig who is exuding joy and happiness. We are built for that! Besides all of that, I am equally grateful for good morsels of food. Food tastes so good! And I love tasting a variety of foods. Life is full of good things. But we need to take the time to stop and recognize that.”

 

 

 

From Flannigan:  “Life for me is all about appreciation. It’s so important to focus on the things you have in life than for the things you don’t have. Now you may think that makes sense coming from a one-eyed-cat and that some human put those words to this. But I assure you this is me. If I am missing one eye, then I need to trust what I see from the one eye I have. And it is up to me to then be sure I see things as they are. Now, I can look at life from and angle of thinking I’m only seeing half of what I should see. Or, I can choose to understand that my remaining eye is seeing twice as much. You see, I am blessed. And I choose to look at all the good things in life with the one eye I have. That is what I am most grateful to experience.”

From Xander: “I am most grateful for times of peace and quiet. All of my animal friends here in the barn are deeply connected to one another. We form a circle of energy that we are very aware of at all times. And we know how to use this circle of energy. It is the combined energy of our hearts. When we combine them all together, it is a huge force. It is a force that can be welcoming and embracing like when we have visitors who come in looking to find something in their own hearts. We circle around them and hold them close. They always leave here finding something that they need. It is our gift to them. And we can also use that circle to keep negativity out of our space. We do not have time for anger and judgment and therefore we do not give that any space within our circle. We look out for one another. I am grateful to share that energy with all who wish to enter our circle with an open heart and curious mind.”

Animal Message of the Day

From Lucy Goose:  “It is a supreme honor to be a goose. Being a goose brings with it a lot of trust and responsibility. We are entrusted with keeping order and being vigilant of our surroundings. People have said I am a protector of the farm. But it is way more than that. You see, I am an energy holder. I am aware of the deepest energy of this farm. In return for paying homage to the origin of the energy of this pace, the farm energy in turn nurtures me. Being a goose is a privilege that I am grateful for every single day. What an opportunity! What a great experience! I have learned so much. I am grateful for every second of every single day. I wish that each of you hearing my words can be grateful for your life too. I am grateful to each of you.”

From Freddie: “I am grateful to have been given another chance at life. People gave up on me a long time ago when I couldn’t fulfill their dreams. I wasn’t fast enough. I wasn’t tough enough. But I can tell you I tried. No matter what I did it wasn’t good enough. They sent me to an auction where there were a lot of scared animals. I was scared too. By now I thought my fate was sealed. But then someone bought me again and took me to a big field with other animals. And then they didn’t come back. I had never just been left like this before. I wasn’t doing well. I thought I was going to die. I gave up. What did I do so wrong that got me here. I couldn’t figure it out. But like a miracle, I was suddenly taken out of that place and brought here. You know what the best part is? I don’t have to do anything to be loved. I don’t have to be fast or athletic or bend in ways I can’t bend. I just need to be me. This is like a dream. But this time instead of living for someone else’s dream of what I should be, I am finding my own dream. I keep thinking I’ll need to leave but the other horses and donkeys tell me I get to stay here now forever. This is what I’ve always wanted. I can’t believe I found it. Believe in your dreams. No matter what it might look like now, it can change in ways you cannot imagine.”