From Clark: “Being a goat is a privilege and honor and I do not take that lightly. Life can be a lot of fun. It can also get really heavy too. But being a goat seems to bring other’s joy and I like that. I like it when kids see me and laugh. I love doing goat things and playing and climbing and making goat sounds. I think my question for you all is what do you like about being human? What’s the thing you like most about who you are? I’d love to hear your answers. I don’t think you think about these things much. You seem to be amused by our answers to these questions. But what are your answers? Please share.”
From Piper: “I’ll tell you what I find funny in my life. I’ve never been able to see. Yet I am in no way disabled. I am enabled. If you spend a few minutes with me, you will notice that there is nothing I cannot do. I do everything that the cats with vision do. It’s my super power. I zoom up cat trees. I can balance on small edges. I climb doors. I can even climb up and pull the light string and turn off the light. And in some cases, I can do it faster than most cats who can see. ‘How can he do that!’ the humans proclaim with wonder. I do it because I trust that I can. I can do it because I believe that I can. If your mind knows it can be done, your body will follow, no matter what others perceive your limitations to be. I am grateful for a mind that knows no limitations.”
From Carley: “I am very grateful to be a little donkey. I love being a donkey! My most favorite time of the day is when the sun rises. We watch it come up over the hill and I also know that our human friends will be here soon to feed us. I love watching them arrive for work. Many times, I can tell their moods just by watching them walk. Some of them come here stressed and worried but then they come up with us donkeys and they start to calm down. I also love my voice. I can call out when it is all quiet on the farm and get the donkeys in the other areas of the farm to call back. It is a sound of unity. A sound that all is well. And it brings comfort. I like all of that. It makes being a donkey a really great opportunity to give from my heart. Oh, and don’t let my kindness fool you. I can be feisty too! When you are the smallest little donkey, you sometimes need to be fierce in the eyes of the boy donkeys in particular. Small but mighty….that is me! But also always grateful for the kindness shown to me.”
From Alice: “I used to be bullied and picked on because I am different. Life was hard. I couldn’t catch a break at all. I didn’t even care about living anymore. But then, I was found and someone stepped in to help me. I came here to the farm and I found a life that I never knew I could have. I have everything I need in this world. All the food I need. Soft places to sleep. I am warm and dry and comfortable. My legs may be deformed and I may move differently than the other cats. But the thing I am most grateful for in my life is that I am accepted for who I am. I have friends. Human friends. Cat friends. Friends. Here is what I want you to know. If you are feeling pushed out and unwanted. If you feel that you cannot find your way. Please don’t give up. You may not be in the best place now, but that can change. It all can become brighter. Life will not always be a struggle. Just believe that things can get better. I know that is hard. But it is what will change your life. I believe in you.”
From Eloise: “I am most grateful and joyful for the sun. It doesn’t matter to me what season it is. Sunny days hold a joyfulness that permeates my entire body. Even on days when it is too hot, I get to wallow in the mud to keep cooler and still enjoy the sun. The sun is a constant companion that we can trust. If things seem dark and dreary, you can always know that the sun is still there and will shine on you once again. I like knowing that. It is nice.”
From Nell: “I am so grateful for friendship. This year we had a scare when we almost lost my dear horse friend Ginny. She got really sick very suddenly. It was really scary. The last I saw was her going on to a trailer and then she was gone for more than a week. Our humans here kept telling us updates and that she had a big surgery. We all sent Ginny our love so that she could get better and would know that we were still here for her. I was so excited the day she came back home! And now, several months later, we are back to enjoying life as usual. I will never take that friendship for granted again. I am so grateful for the love and care of a good friend. I think we should all take time to be grateful every single day. It is healing for our own hearts.”
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.”