For love or money?

I have had people tell me not to mix my passion in life with work. Many wise people advised me to graduate college, go to grad school, and get a high-paying job so that I could keep horses as a hobby rather than as a job.

Did I listen? Of course not.

I graduated from Texas A&M (whoop!) and took this job. I desperately needed a break from school and had worked for the BO all through high school. I knew what the job entailed and knew that I would enjoy it.


Here we are, over two years later. It's been a great ride so far, both figuratively and literally! I get to wake up every morning, walk out my front door, and ride some amazing horses. I work for an amazing boss and have free rein (haha, pun intended) to do whatever I feel needs to be done. Good group of boarders-the list of positives goes on and on.

            

                       

It hasn't been all fun and games, however. I work A LOT of hours. Something about managing 60+ horses, three employees, 15+ lesson kids, and 15 training horses takes up an amazing amount of time. I have had to learn to acccept that whatever does not get done at the end of the day will still be there the next morning. (Horses being fed, appropriately clothed for the weather, etc. not included in this statement, of course).

The horses have not become just a job for me but I do find myself spending less time just standing in the barn listening to them munch on their hay or watching them play in the pasture. In high school, I used to spend hours just sitting in the stall with Patrick. I would read a book, watch him eat, or just talk to him.

I miss times like that. Real life seems to have caught up to me, however, and I find myself doing grown-up things instead. Dishes, laundry, spending time with family-all these essential things that have to be done.

A much-needed storm moved in last night. The DPH was working on some things for school and I was having a hard time not distracting him. I wandered out to one of the smaller barns right before the rain hit. I had a glass of wine, a book, and my heart-dog with me.

I ended up sitting on a stable sheet on top of a big bale of alfalfa, glass in hand and dog curled up next to me. We had a huge storm, complete with thunder, lightening, and rain pounding on the tin roof. Mariah, the three year old filly in the stall closest to the bale of hay, was so interested in what we were doing in her barn.

There was something about sitting there, watching the rain and stroking Mariah's velvety nose, that made me appreciate my life on the farm in a way that I haven't in a long time. I am so blessed to have these animals in my life. It was so peaceful. The book was abandoned as I sat there, taking it all in. I realized that I need to make time for things like that again. It helps center me; helps remind me of how I got to where I am today. It's good for my heart.

To quote OneRepublic, "it's a good, good life".