Thursday, March 13, 2008

Thoughts at Dawn


I was greeted by a blazing dawn this morning. It stopped me in my tracks. I took a moment to stand in the back of Silk’s stall, drinking my coffee and listening to the horses eat their hay.

This has been a rough winter. It’s not entirely over yet. Even if the weather stays mild, I have a few more personal storms to ride in the next few weeks. I started thinking about how sometimes I try to go around the flooding waters, even though I know there’s no other path that will work. I will just have to slog through even if I’m afraid it might drown me.

It reminded me of a time years ago when I was having trouble with Silk. I was convinced that she was more horse than I could handle. In fact, I was afraid of her. I tried to find another path by looking for someone to buy her. I really wanted to feel that Silk would be safe and well-treated wherever she would end up. After struggling with the problem for several months, I came to the realization that I had to work through my fears and keep this horse. Of course, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Giving up, going around it, pretending that everything is fine are no longer options in my life. My horses have taught me that lesson. Often, the worst problems are really my greatest gifts in disguise.

10 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

Great picture of the dawn. It's hard sometimes to deal with one thing on top of the other, it just seems to pile up and it may seem there is no end in sight. But if we forge through the muck and the mess and keep our eyes on the light at the end of the tunnel, moving in a straight path towards it, we will reach it and the sun will shine on us and perhaps we will be better for all the strife we have faced and overcome. Keep at it, sooner or later it will all work out.

Carolynn Anctil said...

Very thought provoking. Beautiful photos.

Blessings,
Carolynn

billie said...

That dawn photo is stunning.

I think sometimes we're conditioned to expect that the "good things" are supposed to be all good, all the time, from the very beginning.

What I've found is that while tons of good things have come my way, the very best are the ones that weren't always easy, but that challenged me, as you've written, and meant enough to me that I was willing to slog through the proverbial muck to keep them. Or more common for me, to slog through a peeling away of my own "stuff" that was provoked AND then healed by the journey.

It's this transformative effect the horses have on my life that makes all the work and setbacks and challenging days worthwhile. It feels like they just "know" what I need to work through next, and they provide it.

Thanks for reminding me of this today.

Rising Rainbow said...

That's a beautiful sunrise.

As for the floods, it seems to me the things we treasure the most are the ones we've had to work the hardest to get. I just try to look at each new obstacle as a training opportunity for me or my horse, it really doesn't matter which. What matters is that we grow during this journey that we're on.

cat lin said...

it's great to hear how you communicate with your girls....I do the same with mine and always get the wierd looks from the "experts". rock on. Cathy

Janet Roper said...

I really appreciate your blog and enjoy visiting it. I love the way you blend the pictures, words, your experiences and the horse's wisdom into compelling and beautiful vignettes. Thanks for sharing!
Harmony,
Janet

Gecko said...

What a beautiful start to the morning, you are very lucky!

That is very true. If you don't deal with the problems that face you, others will just build up and up and up. I believe that's why problems are thrown to(or at) us.

Deejbrown said...

I bring "Teachings of the Horse" into my daily life, and today's post is no different. I am new to blogging but was thinking of stopping because a reader is leaving me inappropriate messages & lifting my writing for use on his blog. If you don't mind, would you tell me if you have had experience with this and what (if anything) I might do?
In the meantime, thank you again for your daily inspirations and openness. It is true that what we believe is the most intimate of our fears and feelings are also the most universal.
Diane

Victoria Cummings said...

DJB - I'm glad you like visiting me. When I've had inappropriate comments, I report them to Blogger. Go to your Dashboard and let them know. Also, put a copyright banner on your blog. I enjoy reading what you write - please don't stop because someone is being a jerk - I believe there are ways to deal with them and make them stop.

ROBIN said...

Take courage. Life has its storms and the sea at times seems very rough. Stay in the boat and the the Lord Jesus who is in the boat with you will calm the sea and the wind. You will be astonished at the great calm and peace that will come over you if you stay in the boat.

Peace to you, your family and all your beautiful horses.