Not long ago, a friend of mine discovered that he needed to undergo a serious and lengthy surgical procedure, one that would put his life at risk. He called Mark and me for support, and of course, we were there for him every step of the way.

But what broke my heart was when he said, "I don't think anyone else will care." 

I explained to him that just wasn't the case, and then things started to happen. His sister flew in from the Midwest to be with him before, during, and after the surgery. Friends came out of the woodwork to wish him well through emails, texts, and social media. His only child sat vigil through the surgery and the aftermath. Friends came to visit when he was recovered enough to visit with them.

This leads me to my point. Why do we often wait until a crisis or a potentially fatal illness to let those we love know how much we do care? 

Your answer will most assuredly be "Life gets in the way." These days, everyone is so busy. But, what's more important than spending time with those you love or care for and letting them know how you feel about them? After all, we don't have an indefinite period of time with each other.

Now, I'll admit, I'm as guilty, if not more guilty, of letting life, work, or my own interests get in the way. This incident with my friend gave me pause. It had been almost a year since we had spent time together. Oh, we communicated over the phone and through social media, but that's not the same as spending time together. Is it?  What if we had lost him during the surgery?

So, all I'm doing is trying to encourage all of us to take more time to smell the roses and give those roses to those we love.

Til Next Time,
​Carol  

It was SO hot today and unusually humid for Southern California. And, I have to admit that, even though I pushed it down, I had pain. When I dismounted from Okido, I felt dizzy and a little confused. Turns out, I was dehydrated.  After three bottles of water and a bottle of Gatorade, I felt like a human again. I can only imagine how Okido felt with all that hair and fur, but he got a good cooling shower and happily proceeded to munch on the apples I put in his feeder in front of his fan.

I sat down, put some ice on the back of my neck, and wondered why I put myself through it. Dressage is hard work for the rider and the horse. The key is to make it look easy. Sometimes I succeed, and other times I struggle. It's never something that once you get it, you're perfect. Working with an animal has its share of unpredictability. And, then there's my body. Some days it cooperates, and others not so much.

After I got home, I found the answer to why I put myself through it. I posted it above. That's us this past Saturday at El Sueno Equestrian Center. Okido was so amazing, obedient, and elegant. Yes, he's still a puppy and has so much to learn, as do I, but I couldn't ask for a better dance partner. 

A year ago, I wouldn't have believed it. A year ago I lost my best buddy, Aramis, just one month before his 17th birthday. My world came crashing down. Not because I had lost my competition horse, but because my partner and friend had suddenly and unexpectedly passed on. 

We lose our beloved animals far too quickly. All of us know that. It's just one of those painful facts. I thought I'd never find another to compare to Aramis. I struggled just to move through the days without going out to the barn to hang with him, ride him, lesson with him. Pam, my trainer, had me ride several different horses to keep me going, but it wasn't the same. 

It wasn't the same until I saw photos and a video of Okido I.T He took my breath away. He took Pam's breath away. We couldn't wait to meet him. But wait... he's only four years old.I'd have to go from showing Third Level back down to the beginning again. We both acknowledged that wouldn't be a bad thing, and so he became my new friend and partner.

In training only six months with Pam, he is doing great. Right now, for me, the levels and scores don't matter.  What matters is the joy i feel when I see him. What matters is the training and what we are learning. ​What matters is the relationship. It's about being strong enough to ride through all the pain and come out on the other side.

A friend of mine told me that she loved to see me having so much fun at the show. I reminded myself of that this morning. And, I finally realized that it's the journey that truly matters... not the outcome. Don't get me wrong! The outcome with Okido is great... but what matters is our journey together and what we teach each other along the way.

That's what friendship should be.

Til Next Time,
​Carol