All You Need is Love…

A few weeks ago, my brother-in-law died. Besides being a relative by marriage, he was also a very good and long term friend. I am missing him. Having recently attended his funeral, the loss still feels fresh in my heart. My husband and I are offering each other support and I have been turning to friends, our animals and my guides for reinforcement. It is at times like this, that I am even more grateful for my accomplishments and expertise with the animals and telepathic communication.

Four days after the funeral, I went to the corral for my weekly visit with the horses. I absolutely love my horses Boo and Izzy, and seeing them and their pasture mates is great therapy for me. Horses bring so much love into my life, their capacity for love is incredible, feeling their loyalty and trust is Divine.

The feelings I receive when standing next to a horse is a combination of respect, inquisitiveness and unconditional love. A horse’s capacity for love and healing is beyond measure. Did you know that their physical hearts are comparable to the size of a football? They weigh about 1% of their total body weight so a 1,000 pound horse will have a heart that weighs 10 pounds! That’s a big lotta love!

Many days, when I am in the pasture, the horses and I have what I call spa days. I bring a bucket of grooming tools and treats and I walk into the pasture to see who wants to share time with me. Individually, I ask them, “How can I be of service to you?” And then I listen.

Gaining a horse’s trust can take time. Horses are prey animals. They consider most other four legged creatures and humans as predators. Horses can move quickly and sometimes, they spook at the smallest things. For them something as trivial as a piece of paper blowing on the ground in front of them can cause a scene and they move from one place to another in a matter of a split second.

Boo and Izzy have several pasture mates. One of them is Rocky. Rocky is about 28 years old and very peaceful but still, on spa days when I have attempted to walk up to him, he would often allude me. He’d walk away as slowly as I walked toward him. I never force a horse to let me groom them, after all, what kind of spa day would that be?  

But last week it was different for Rocky and I. As I walked out into the pasture with my friend Tori, Rocky was laying on the ground resting his legs and sunning himself. It was a gorgeous winter day in Wisconsin. There was very little wind, the sky was clear blue and the temperature was in the mid 30’s. There was a few inches of snow covering the ground.

As Tori and I approached, I told Rocky there was no need for him to get up, he should continue relaxing and enjoying the warmth of the sunshine on his body. Because he was in a vulnerable position, I did not actually expect him to stay on the ground, as a matter of fact, horses usually get up when someone approaches, even if it is a friend that they know well, getting up off the ground is a way to greet their friends in a respectful manner and, should they need to, they can move away from any perceived danger quickly and efficiently. 

Rocky did not get up, he eyed us with caution for a moment, and determined that it was safe to allow Tori and I to sit down next to him. As I sat, I put my hands on his withers and took in the magic of the moment.

I moved my hand under his thick mane and felt the warmth of his body. As I massaged his neck, he started to lean back on my leg. I wondered how heavy his neck and head would be should he lay all the way down. If he did lean back further, his neck would cross my lap and his head would be on the ground. I didn’t want the moment to end, but I also knew I’d better shift my weight. As I moved, Rocky also shifted. I told him it was ok to stay, that he needn’t get up on my account and I could feel him relaxing back into me. And guess what? Rocky laid his neck and his head across my legs. There I was, sitting on the ground with a 1,000 pound horse resting his neck and head in my lap. He felt like a warm blanket.

I couldn’t believe it, I was so amazed, excited, honored, grateful and inquisitive all at the same time. An experience like this has been on my bucket list for a long time and it is as amazing as it sounds.

I moved my hand from Rocky’s neck to his jaw and scratched him gently. He lifted his head slightly leaning into the sensation and I swear I saw a smile appear on his lips. He closed his eyes and as I continued to scratch, he moved his head to show me where I needed to go to follow the itch. He was behaving more like a big dog than a horse!

Thanks to Rocky, I forgot about sadness and loss. I felt the presence of God and I experienced life. My beautiful and glorious life. I felt the joy and love of my brother-in-law. And I know that I am watched over and cared for by both the seen and the unseen world.

Sweet surrender. There is no rule book for grief and loss, but I do know that allowing the feelings to flow through my body and experiencing them in the moment is invaluable to my healing. So is mindful breathing. I’ve noticed that when I think of my brother-in-law, I immediately begin breathing deeply. The action of feeling my belly rise and fall with my breath helps me to relax and find peace. And I remember…

Love is all you need.

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