She was deep in a heavily sedated sleep. She hadn’t slept so deeply in months or even what seemed like ages. However long, it was now warmly relaxing – an enormous relief. Then, in the sedated but exhausted sleep, her breathing accelerated as her lungs valiantly pumped harder and deeper attempting to oxygenate and press onward a heart that was being stopped by the paralyzing agent flowing in her veins from the prick of the vet’s needle. One moment there was breath and life; the next instant all was still. All was quiet. She was released. She was no longer burdened with a body that refused to allow her youthful spirit to thrive. She brought unconditional acceptance, undying loyalty, and unquestioning forgiveness. She brought joy. Her eyes were always full of youthful joy. Even when youth fled and the body betrayed her, she continued to look out on the world with eager eyes of youth. In her mind’s-eye she never aged. She always saw life with the eager, w
There are bad times and then there are the terrible, horrible, awful, no-good times. Not much else can be said for the times of departure of a beloved. Thursday May 30 began as just another normal day but ended in unexpected grief. Mack's Reward, an OTTB, was the horse I'd been longing for, for fifty plus years. Since a child, I'd wanted a horse and finally after establishing a career and moving from places as far-flung as the pacific islands, at the age of fifty-six I finally felt settled enough to bring into my life the horse I'd always wanted. After a three month search, we found each other and Mac came home to fill my life. For nine short years he was an integral part of the family. He taught me to ride and everything I know about horses. From him I learned the deep meaning of interspecies relationship. When I entered the barn that evening for regular feeding, I could see before even entering that this was not going to be just a