ATTENDING THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY INDOOR

The barn was quiet this early Sunday morning... a beautiful, cool, dry, bugless early summer New England morning.  The barn girls were busy and almost silently going through the morning chores with their ear buds tightly replacing the songs of the morning with the sounds of an iPhone playlist.  {{{Or, maybe, just maybe they were avoiding my overenthusiastic early riser good cheer... hmmm}}}

Where was everyone?  Why sleep when the very weather screamed for one to get up, get out and play?  Rainy or hot and humid days call for longer bedtimes or house elf activities.  The gloriousness of the morning can not be wasted behind four walls.  It must be savored with all the beauty of a barn, the power and grace of one's pony partner...

Wait!  Isn't it Sunday?  If I recall, some people refresh their spirit in a House of God.  Perhaps, my barn peeps were somewhere quietly or joyously celebrating the morning... um... at Church.

Hmmm, I just completed my first year in Seminary and am now an Initiate for ordination as an Interfaith Minister.  {{{Don't ask me what I'm going to do with it.  I still don't know.}}}  And yet, here I am grooming Ms Maisy and preparing for some dressage butt kicking (mine not her).  What does that say about me?  Do I confess this lapse (among many) to my fellow seminarians?

Do you know that feeling when you open the door of the indoor and the footing is newly groomed and watered?  Our steps will be the very first and everything we do will mark the start of a new day with all its new possibilities. In honor of the moment and the glory of the day, I tune the radio and allow Gospel music to guide our way and set our pace.

Our kick off song:



Maisy and I had a wonderful ride being lifted lighter in gaits and in song.  It was a perfect way to celebrate the goodness in life and be grateful, truly grateful for the good in life. 


God can be found any where as long as you look for him.  So, for me, God is at the barn and makes days like this even holier!  TYG!  

THE LAST CROSS COUNTRY WALK

Smiling with a zest for life albeit a bit slow

Jonah got up this morning with his tail wagging, his eyes eager for the adventures of a Sunday morning and lame in his right front foot.  His breakfast contains a pain reliever and his dinner a glucosomine/chondrotin supplement to support his aging joints.  He is a 10.5 year old Labrador Retriever who is living in the moment while his person is staring at the twilight of a long adventurous life.

Way back when!

Yesterday, I believe, that this gentle soul with a huge eating disorder and selective hearing walked his last cross country (XC) course.  It makes me sad to have to be the responsible parent and take care of him when it is his very nature to go to extremes until he is exhausted or worse, hurt.  Yet, yesterday, I wanted to give him that one last time to walk the course, bathe in the water jump and greet everyone walking by.

Another lab testing out the water complex!

Jonah hurts today and as a dog, he lives in the moment.  As a human, I feel ok with giving him that one last XC walk even though there is a hint of guilt at seeing him so lame.  He is not going to remember this last time when I leave him home with his beloved dog sitter while his young brother walks many, many more courses.  No, he lives in the moment.

Sometimes and somewhat reluctantly, you have to be the parent.  And sometimes, I just want to be the neighborhood kid that gets everyone in trouble and then, goes home without a care in the world leaving chaos in her wake.

Today, I am the responsible one and acknowledge that my beloved Convict may have completed his last cross country course walk.  Today, I am the parent and grateful for that one last time.

Parenting is tough!