| Sponsors:
|
Two Lane Livin' Your Horse
Country Column archives...
January
2011 - A New Year’s Resolve. An animal’s calendar is weather and
temperature defined.
Written by Dawna B. Smith,
Journalist and Reporter, writer of the monthly "Your Horse Country" column for
Two Lane Livin' Magazine
An animal’s calendar is
weather and temperature defined, their bodies adjusting as needed to the
changing seasons. It’s amazing how quickly horses can shed their fuzzy
winter coats in preparation for warmer weather. This fall I noticed how
quickly they put on their winter coats. We’ve been taught to dress in
layers, take off when needed, and add when temperatures drop below our
comfort zones. It’s only during winter that I can run my fingers through
their plush coats, the hair thick and velvety, wondering how many more
opportunities will I have to feel that special texture.
January 2011’s blanket
of snow and frigid temperatures are a reminder that Spring 2011 is just
around the corner. We tend to “count” things to help keep track of the
fleeting time metronome of our lives, using calendars, photos, journals,
and more to note every minute, hour, day, week, month and year. Have you
ever wondered how many New Year’s Eve parties you’ve attended? How
many
Chris
tmas trees you’ve put up and taken down? How many Easter egg hunts
you’ve searched for the special egg? How many trail rides you’ve
completed? How often you rode your horse in 2010?
When viewed from that
perspective the numbers seem much fewer, and the opportunity to do more
than what was done in the past seems reduced. If you’re twenty years
old, you probably experienced twenty holiday seasons. Whether you
remembered all of them or not that is another story. Figuring life
expectancy, you can possibly expect to experience sixty more of those
wonderful joyous holidays, including shopping on Black Friday. If you’re
fifty or sixty, the potential number is reduced to possibly twenty or
thirty. For many of us, it’s a sobering thought and definitely a reality
check. It’s a reminder to us to maximize our time to the fullest extent
possible.
We often get frustrated
when we can’t control our own schedules, and resent the demands of
others. We may not be able to control the march of time, but we can
control how we march to its music. To do so, we must be resolute in our
purpose every day, and not just in January when we announce a few token
New Year’s Resolutions. To achieve the things we want for ourselves and
others, we must resolve our goals and desires daily, knowing that time is
precious and not to be wasted, but enjoyed and used to benefit our strong
purpose.
We are blessed with the
painful knowledge that time is limited, that weather prohibits certain
activities, that finances dictate what we purchase, and no matter how hard
we try we are often buffeted by the winds of fate that push us in the
opposite direction of where we want to go. By taking advantage of the
benefits of our “knowing”, we can tack into the wind, use the many
tools that we have to take better care of ourselves, and build the future
we want for our families, friends, animals, and pets.
So, during January’s
cold wintry days when snow covers last year’s pastures and round hay
bales seem to sprout up like giant mushrooms overnight as we drive along
the icy roads, walk across slippery side walks, or wade through snow to
feed the animals, let us begin by resolving to be more firm in our
decisions, to clear up misunderstandings, and to be more determined to
find the answers to our questions throughout the year and not just at its
beginning.
Happy New Year!
Bio:
Dawna Smith,
Journalist and Reporter, writes the monthly column "Your Horse
Country" for Two Lane
Livin' Magazine, based in West Virginia, as well as numerous articles regarding pain related medical issues for
LivePainFreeNow.com. A photographer and free lance writer, her op-ed articles have been published regarding a variety of subjects.
She and her husband have been strong advocates for the elderly and disabled since 1998,
and formed the non-profit HEADINGS (helping elderly and disabled in need gain support) to help ensure that legislature, Department of Health and Human Resources, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid heard their voices.
She can be reached at dawna @ yourhorsecountry.com
304-765-0490.
|
