Moments We Almost Miss…
Yesterday was a day that could have been really long and full of wishing and longing thoughts for pain to stop. A splitting migraine woke me up at 2am with everything that all migraine suffers know all too well: stabbing pain, blurry vision, nausea – the whole 9 yards so to speak. Unfortunately, meds do not touch my migraines, they just have to run their course. I knew we had a full day of clients and it was going to be a long day.
To help gather my reserve energy I took the opportunity to not check emails and catch up on office work like I typically do first thing but instead took a chair out into the paddock to spend some quality time in mediation and a body scan with my boy herd. It did its job and filled up my cup emotionally to push through the physical pain and I was ready to move into my day. But this isn’t the moment that I almost missed yesterday. That choice came later in the day 
We had started our client work and had a cancellation by one of our clients. I knew that one of our horses, Delilah, needed some attention in the form of an acupressure session to help release some stuck energy. So I let my teammate know I was heading out into the paddock to work on her. As I entered the paddock I was met by another member of our herd, Ginger. Ginger has been on a journey of healing and finding her safe place for the last 2 years since coming to our farm. I have been working her through finding her voice. She often steps in and out of connection. In the last few months she has been showing up more and more to offer connection to myself and to our clients and I’m so excited to see where she will go from here, finding her true self!
So, she met me at the gate. I said hello and started to move past her to go work on Delilah. She turned to followed me. Normally I would say hello again give her a quick scratch and then keep moving on toward my goal. I don’t know if it was the fact that I was in pain and not moving so fast or in the moment but for some reason I stopped and just stood with her. Gently stroking her neck and send thoughts of gratitude toward her for looking for the connection with me. She took a deep breath then laid down at my feet. Laying down for a horse is a sign of complete relaxation and just of those around them when it is their choice. With a smile of thanks, I took a deep breath too and squatted down next to her to keep stroking her neck. It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was warm and the breeze was cool. The hay field had a memorizing movement to it with the breeze and I took a moment to bring in the awe around me. Ginger was melting under my hand, with each stroke her breath deepened and slowed, her eyes closed, and her head lowered.
I sat down next to her and she laid her head in my lap. I would never have felt connected enough to her in the past to let my own guard down like that, but yesterday was different. I’m not sure how long we stayed like that. She let me stroke her face, neck, and shoulders. One by one both herds joined us. Hook came first, laying down a few feet away. Puzzle was next laying down behind us. Right on the other side of the fence, Wiscey and Peppy came to lay down too. Steel and Kota came to snooze standing up with them. I found myself letting my head rest on Ginger’s neck as well. The pain of the migraine started to fade into the background as the overwhelming gratitude for the trust that my herd has placed in me as their leader washed over me like waves.
Ginger stirred and reached down to try and scratch one of her legs. I gentle moved around her so I could reach and gently scratched her pastern area (like her ankles on a human). Still laying down she gently laid back out flat and let me know massage and scratch all of her legs and whole body. I once again was in awe of her trust in me. Cocoa, Delilah, and Sparky decided to join us as well in the afternoon relaxing.
The sounds of a car turning into the gravel parking lot brought us all back. As I stood up and dusted off so did the herd. Rolling and then getting up and shaking it off. I thought to myself, “Wow! You almost missed this moment!” If I had stayed 100% on track and not open to connection when it was offered I would have missed an amazing moment of connection…trust…love… Delilah and Ginger followed me freely into the arena for our next client.
They were amazing and offered connection and being open to a new client that was closed off. The result – the client couldn’t believe that a horse could “know” what she wanted and decided to be with her.
After the session was over Delilah got her acupressure session, then Cocoa. Hook was next for some one on one care after our clients were done. My pain was still out of control, but I wasn’t really bracing against it.
Take away that our herd taught me yesterday – give yourself permission to be more open to the moments in your daily life where you can, even for a second if that is all the time you have, accept or give connection to another being. Connection can be anything – with yourself, a coworker, friends, nature or a pet.
If I am moving too fast on autopilot I can miss moments that inspire me, can affirm that I’m worthy, and fill up my cup so I can deal with the obstacles of the day. My wish to you is to be present, even if just for a moment, to the awe that is around you.
Blessings and enjoy the beauty of springs. Please share with me a moment that you might have caught that helped you.
Michelle
