Dear Spirit to Spirit friend,
The spirit of my beloved equine family member Peter who was released from
this earth in 2010 has been making his presence known quite directly these past couple of months.
I find myself remembering sweet and tender, small and significant moments
in our life together. When Peter decided- and showed me- that I was his person
was one of the most moving and transformational moments in our life.
Back in 2002, I was living in the City and taking riding lessons at a stable in the Bronx.
When Peter arrived at the stable, I was moved by his big soft kind eyes. He did the best that he could as a stable horse but he was in pain. I advocated for him to no avail. When things finally came to a head and the stable owner was going to “sell” Peter (another story for another time), I stepped in and took him to a stable in New Jersey where he could begin to rehabilitate. I promised him that I would find him his forever person.
When it became clear that Peter and I were to be together (another sweet story), I moved to Warwick and had him living at a stable up the street from me. My first promise to him was to help him come out of pain. Though incredibly sweet, Peter was very guarded and withheld direct eye contact and emotional connection- for good reason given his uncertain past.
I sought out an equine chiropractor right away and found a wonderful woman who agreed to work with him. When she arrived at the stable, I explained to Peter why she was there and how she would help him. Lovely as she was, Peter was terrified, not sure what might happen to him. And then, he did something remarkable.
Peter positioned his 1500 pound body behind me and made himself tiny and invisible. Then he rested his long face on my back and with a deep sigh, pressed his head into me and let go into trusting me. It took my breath away feeling him choosing to surrender into our relationship. In that moment, he made his claim: “You are my person, I trust you.”
Our relationship shifted instantaneously. A buoyancy seemed to fill Peter and he became wildly expressive about everything in his life, including his love for me and his trust in me. His heart was wide open and the fullness of our profound soul connection began to shine brightly.
Maybe you remember a similar moment when your animal family member told you, showed you that “you are my person”. And how life changing it was for both of you.
This is one of those incredibly beautiful kinds of moments our animals may bless us with in our lives together. Aren’t we the lucky ones!
In Gratitude & Love, Joanna