I Give Thanks for the Horse

It's Thanksgiving break for my students and me, and over the past few days I've ben coming up with all the things I'm thankful for. Topping the list, of course, is horses.

They're so beautiful, so noble, so sensitive, so intuitive. I am grateful for how humbled I feel around them, like I'm with something that isn't entirely of this earth. They are soulful, moreso than most humans. They make me think about life in a different way. Something about them seems so eternal. Maybe it's the legacy they leave in our hearts when they're gone, or maybe a part of them really lingers with us forever. Maybe we'll see them again in heaven, or maybe they evaporate into the wind and absorb into something greater.

I love their mystery, their history. I love the way they press their nose into your hair. I love the way their mane falls gracefully on their neck. I love the wide-eyed awareness of a foal that turns into daring curiosity as they get older. I love the spirit and eagerness of a young adult, and I love the knowing and wisdom that comes as they age. I love the big brown eyes that perceive so very much. I love the silent communication between horse and human, the kind where you feel like you've had a whole conversation with them without any words at all.

I've been so touched, so blessed by these animals over that past 18 years that I've loved them. I am thankful for everything they are and everything they aren't. I am thankful for their magic that only some understand. I am thankful.