I am currently in Montana. Michael and I made a four day, 1600 mile drive from Rodeo, NM, to get here. I have wanted to visit Montana for a very long time. When I was ten years old, there was a girl in my 3rd-grade class, and she has a poster in her purple Trapper Keeper that had snow-capped mountains and horses in a pasture. I asked her where that was, and she said, “Montana, it’s home.” I wanted to go there; I wanted to see the mountains and horses. I’ve always loved horses, and earlier that year, I ran-away** to work at the horse stable across from our home in Fulda, Germany. But, I had never seen wild horses or even wide open spaces with horses; only fields, corrals, and such, but nothing like what I saw on that poster.
So you can imagine when I see those snow-topped mountains and a barn in a vast open field and some horses enjoying their day. I wept. It was a little overwhelming, but I spent a bit of time thinking about all of the things I have gone through. Nearly 40 years in the making to get here. How many times had I thought about giving up on everything? How many times had I thought there was nothing good left to life? Now, more than ever, when the turmoil of the world is just a click away, I am holding onto hope of good things yet to come. And I am finding peace in the little things while we fight for the big stuff.
**Yep, I ran away to work in a horse barn when I was ten years old. I packed a bag with a ham sandwich, Capri Sonne Kirsch, and my favorite stuffed animal. My friend’s mom worked at the barn, and she put me to work straight away. I helped groom and muck out stalls. After my “work-day,” I sat down to eat my food, I fell asleep on the stable floor and woke up to Mamma, carrying me to the car.