Those lucky to enjoy the companionship of a furry, feathered, finned, scaled, or shelled friend are, indeed, lucky enough.
November highlights the opportunity to reflect on the gifts we’ve been given, and for me, that includes the four-legged livestock with whom I share my life.
My animals get me out of my head, out of my house and into the rest of the world.
Rowdy keeps me moving, with his passion for the park, watching to see what I wear out of the closet, exploding with excitement when he sees what he interprets to be exercise apparel.
Fennel and Mace keep me still, with their appreciation of a warm lap on which to receive a quiet cuddle.
Biskit and Chicago keep me mindful of the natural world, blessing my backyard with the natural beauty of equines.
They all keep me learning, with health or behavioral issues that lead me through coaching clinics, training classes, educational seminars, veterinary consultations, Google searches, and pet care catalogs.
They soothe in the storm of stressful seas and motivate when I crave the couch.
They speak in barks, hisses, nickers, purrs, whines, whinnies, stares across the room and stares across the yard. Incredibly intense stares.
They are extraordinary listeners, exemplary secret-keepers, and conversation starters who provide smooth ice-breaker introductions and spontaneous chit-chat with people in the park.
They make me laugh and cry and think and play.
They bring me comfort, joy, a sense of responsibility, and a reason to get up in the morning – even when I want to sleep in.
They gallop, saunter, strut, trot, run and wiggle into my heart, and transform my house into a home. A dust-bunnied, paw-printed, barn-boots-in-the-back-entry home.
They keep me happy, healthy, humble human.
Grounded.
From Four Sticks Farm 