Sometimes You Just Need to Hug Your Pony...



Sophie drew this at school today. 
Said she needed her pony with her.

 It's been one of those weeks, and I was talking myself into skipping the barn on this rainy, foggy Friday night in favor of my PJs, a glass of wine and a good movie. 

That changed the second I arrived at my daughter's school to pick her up.  She came running out of the classroom, hiccuping and in tears.  As my arms encircled her in a hug she wailed, "I...j-just...w-w-wanna...see my p-pooooooony!" Seems she'd been collateral damage in an altercation between two schoolmates, the poor kiddo.  Maybe a stronger individual would have been able to remain resolute and stay home in favor of wine and PJs, but I'm a marshmallow. So we mopped her up a bit and headed home to change
and go down to the barn.

She didn't want to talk on the way down, and as soon as we arrived she jumped out of the car and ran to her pony's stall.  Minutes later I found her, sitting on an overturned muck bucket and leaning against Cookie's shoulder.  Seeing her took me back about 30 years, when I'd get off the bus and run to the barn where I took lessons to cry out the day's woes to Lazy or Andrew, the two lesson horses I rode and adored.  Those good old souls shepherded me through many a childhood tragedy or triumph, and I was so glad to see that my daughter had the same kind of support system.  Sugar, who resides in the stall next to Cookie's, was clearly concerned as well.  She had her nose out the feed hole and was nickering anxiously, wondering what was amiss with her "foal."

Talking it all out...

We didn't ride.  We just groomed the girls, clipped them, massaged them and loved on them.  We also took them into the arena and played a bit with them. Sophie and Cookie spent a good portion of the time just walking around the arena together, and when the rain stopped I could hear Sophie speaking softly to the pony.

By the time we left Sophie seemed over the events of the day, and while she wasn't her normal high energy self, she seemed at peace.  She hugged Cookie and kissed her precious little nose, and thanked her.  When Sophie headed out to the car I stayed behind a minute to thank Cookie as well.  Because as much as parents try to be everything for their kids, we can't be. 

We're so lucky to have these wonderful creatures to help us raise our kids, because sometimes the only thing that will make a hurt better is the love of a pony.