My Christmas List....

As we reach the end of the year, many of us find ourselves in a reflective state of mind.  It is natural to look back at all that we have gained, all that we have lost, and where the path of life took us in the year gone by.  For me, the feeling of introspection is deepened by the fact that my birthday is a week before Christmas, and the older I get, the more I have to look back on.  I certainly have a lot to be thankful for; 2011 was a fantastic year for me, both personally and professionally.  I have never been happier or felt more at ease with myself, and yet, I see that, as always, there is still work to be done.  I still have places to improve and room to grow.

So today I wanted to create a wish list; a list of wants and needs, and issues that I intend to give my attention to.....

1. I intend to dedicate more attention to my personal health; getting check-ups, exercising (beyond riding, I mean aerobic, break-a-sweat exercise), eating right and getting enough sleep.  I do a lot in a day, for my family, my animals, and my business. And it is easy to put off things that nurture me. A good friend reminded me recently, as she was sweetly badgering me to get a mammogram, that if I don't take care of myself, all those other areas will falter and/or break down.  I know that many horsewomen out there are like me; we take care of everything else in the world before we take care of ourselves. That can only go on for so long before we start to break down.  I am going to be more vigilant in preventing that. (And yes, I made the appt. for the mammogram!)
2. I intend to write, write, and write some more!  I love falling down the rabbit hole, immersing myself in a subject, crafting words to do my bidding, and emerging on the other side of the creative process feeling like I understand the world and myself a bit more.  However, if life gets in my way, and I have stretches when I just don't have the time to do it, I vow not to hold guilty grudges against myself, or feel as though I have failed.  Life happens, and that's how it goes.  I like to see my life as a banquet; I take a little of this, a little of that, and try to give myself a balanced plate of everything I love.  Too much of any one thing, and you will get full on it, left to yearn for the other things you didn't get enough of, or didn't have room to try.  It's about balance, and leaving space for everything.
3. I wish for my kids to enjoy fully this horsey/country life that we have created for them.  I wish for them to appreciate the animals, fresh air, open spaces, friendly neighbors and all the other simple happinesses that we are so blessed to have.  I wish for them to grow strong from their deep roots of a happy childhood.
4. I wish for the horse industry, fellow equine professionals and all of us who just love horses to continue to recover economically from the recession.  I hope that people get feed they can afford, and that we have a mild winter, so as to not drive up costs. May our old horses get through winter, our mares hold on to those foals, and may the young ones stay sound.
5. I wish for kindness and compassion.  Lots and lots of that, please!  Less abuse, violence, doping, cheating and stealing, and a lot more gentleness, respectfulness, hope, generosity, honesty and good, old-fashioned values.  That's not a lot to ask, is it?

Dear reader, thank you for spending time with me this year.  I pray that your holidays are filled with love, laughter and time spent with the people you love the most.  I wish you a Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!