Day 31: The End and The Beginning

We'll keep calling her your horse until she is.

I fell in love with horses sometime before I can remember.

Of course, horses were out of the question. Too expensive. Too much work. And so much of the responsibility would have necessarily fallen on the parents' shoulders. Parents who were already working hard just to provide and care for their five children; parents who had crazy medical bills piling on from all the hospital adventures their kids were going through.

I understood this. I didn't like it, but I understood.

I raised rabbits instead. But as much as I love those precious creatures, my heart wasn't really in it. Deep inside I knew it was just an affordable replacement.

I lived out my horsey dreams with my American Girl look-like-me doll and her horse. And when that wasn't enough, my bike became a horse named Toppa. (pronounced toe-pah; I found the name in a book about horses)

Some of my friends had horses, or at least had access to horses. They were happy to share with me. I loved them for it.

But I got used to the idea that horses would never be a real part of my life.

Someday, I would have horses. I would help teenage girls with them, the way I was helped by horses.

Someday, someday, someday . . .

The funny thing about someday is that it never comes. Even as I dreamed and planned, I knew inside that I would be shocked if it actually happened.

But then I was asked to help with Irish and Sally.

And then I met Sugar.

And I started learning that owning a horse is now more manageable than I ever imagined.

It is no longer an elusive dream.

Yesterday, Dad said something to me.

We'll keep calling her your horse until she is.

I do not own a horse. But I will. Soon.