Writing Challenge: A moment that took my breath away

wide open spacesTonya over at Fourth Generation Farmgirl hit me up with this writing challenge. Please check her blog out if you haven’t already. It is a fun and beautiful blog! This challenge spoke to me and looked fun, so here we go:

A moment that took my breath away. I just had one yesterday. As a matter of fact.

I volunteer at a facility for “riders with disabilities”. I help teach one day a week. I have a class of five children with varying disabilities (I like to call them alter-abilities). Anyways, my daughter and I do a lot of volunteer work at this riding center. We cross paths daily with all sorts of amazing people. Some may qualify for riding for physical disabilites, some for developmental, mental or otherwise disabilities. There is a large scope of people there. Well, anyways…my weekly class and the five kids in it had a party this week to celebrate the end of the riding session. Pizza and fun.

The moment that my breath was taken away was when my daughter, who is technically a “volunteer” (she goes and helps with cleaning stalls and little chores while I’m in the arena). Well, she sat down at the round table with my five students and she ate pizza, laughed, played, teased, helped and loved everyone of them. As if there was NOTHING DIFFERENT AT ALL ABOUT THEM. I realized in that moment, that there really was NOTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THEM. And her little soul simply knew that. They were simply kids, she was simply with friends, and she was simply having fun at a party.

I saw, in that moment, all that was right in the world. That my daughter didn’t see the “differences”. That I had raised her in a world that didn’t see the “differences”. And that all of these beautiful six children blended into a group of fun and happy kids. Period. It was beautiful. It gave me hope for the world. It reminded me of what’s important. It reminded me that we are all one. We are all in this together.

It took my breath away.

This Moment

Sharon over at “Simple Days Make for Exciting Adventures” is joining in on the “this moment” fun! Thanks for the shout out. Check out her great photo capture… and her blog which is a great homeschooling, parenting, family, etc resource!

Simple Days Make for an Exciting Adventure

I recently found a new blog that I am truly enjoying called Barnraised.  Each week she has post called “This Moment.”   The post includes a photo and these words:  “Originally inspired by “Soulemama“: {this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a simple, special, extraordinary (sometimes just silly) moment.” (this quote came from her site).  I LOVE this idea and would like to join in.  Please take the time to check out her site.  Her “This Moment” photos capture beautiful moments.

So on to my photo (from now on, there won’t be as many words).

Parks painting a horse at camp. Parks painting a horse at camp.

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Left behind

Looking back at my blog as I consider what is next here. And, I feel a little writer’s block tonight. My favorite post of all time, I think….

barnraised

Left behind boots
Left behind boots. That was my first clue. Walking down to my horses stall, I came upon these left behind boots. I thought they were worthy of a shot. So I took one. Only to find out, as my morning progresses that two or three of our “resident cowgirls” had decided to forego their boots and (for some reason) head off on their horses barefoot and free. “Natural Horsemanship”…..? I think it could qualify. These girls! My first thought was (I will admit) how UNSAFE! And, my second thought was how BEAUTIFUL. I do remember those carefree days and I wish them upon my daughter. No matter how I may worry and fret, I want my daughter to know carefree, bareback, barefoot days on horseback that nearly no mom would approve of. As my little one grows, I have to remember there will be times to turn the “blind eye”…

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